You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 617

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

I asked as I stepped into the open elevator.

Kang Min-jae pressed the lobby floor button and asked,

“What do you mean?”

“Why didn’t you say anything while Ko Yoon-soo was spouting nonsense?”

“I thought you, as the lawyer, would have more to say. Every second in the same space is disgusting, and if I joined in, we’d have to stay longer.”

He said with a playful, laughing tone.

“You had more to say than I did, Kang.”

Kang Min-jae lost Kang Kwan-woong, his only remaining relative on this earth, because of Wooshin.

On the other hand, I saved my parents when I started this life.

As a result, Kang Min-jae was the only one who lost someone in this life.

“Does everyone have earphones?”

Kang Min-jae suddenly asked, looking at the employees.

“Out of the blue?”

Tae-shik asked with a puzzled expression, then took out his earphones from his pocket.

The employees also hesitantly took out their tangled earphones from their pockets and began to untangle them.

Then, Kang Min-jae tapped his phone.

“Everyone, put on your earphones. Connect them to your phones and play the loudest song you know at a volume that won’t damage your eardrums.”

Despite Kang Min-jae’s sudden order, the employees did as they were told.

All sorts of loud songs flowed from beyond the earphones, as if they were really playing them loudly.

Seeming to think they were ready, Kang Min-jae stood in front of them and said,

“Tae-shik said he’s going to cut your salaries because he doesn’t have money. He said that earlier.”

And he began to make up things that weren’t true.

Tae-shik and the employees didn’t object, but just looked at Kang Min-jae as if they didn’t understand.

Kang Min-jae wore a satisfied expression and turned to me.

“What are you doing?”

“I have to keep your secret, Lawyer.”

“Secret?”

“You’ll probably think I’m the only one who lost family in the end, so you’ll think I should have more to say between the two of us. Fortunately, in this universe, you and your parents are really healthy and doing well.”

“…….”

“But what you remember doesn’t change even if the world changes. In that memory, Wooshin killed your parents and even you. You’ve had that memory for over four years already. So how could I have more to say?”

Kang Min-jae shrugged.

Before I knew it, the elevator at the top floor had reached the lobby floor.

As the door opened, Kang Min-jae stood in front of the employees and pretended to take out his earphones.

But unfortunately, the employees didn’t understand him.

They just blinked, mouthing ‘What did you say?’

They couldn’t hear Kang Min-jae, but I couldn’t figure out why they were muting themselves.

“I said take out your earphones now!”

I sighed, left the Dumb and Dumber behind, and got out of the elevator.

* * *

[Japanese Representative Oda Satoshi Resigns, “Sorry for Causing Trouble to the Public”]

[Oda Satoshi: “I Absolutely Did Not Record”]

[“I Was Wiretapped,” Oda Satoshi’s Belated Protest]

[“Never Recorded, Clear Wiretapping” Truth Debate Over Audio File]

As expected, Oda Satoshi claimed he was wiretapped as soon as he resigned.

He said he was innocent, so he would ask the Japanese police to investigate.

Interestingly, Japan is more critical of Oda Satoshi’s wiretapping claims than Korea.

A scene of Oda Satoshi carrying his home computer into the police station was captured comically, and it is said to be used as a humor material among Japanese netizens.

[Investigation Headquarters: Foreigners Must Also Be Investigated in Korea]

[Police Request Former Prime Minister Onodera to Enter the Country]

[Current Superintendent: Will Not Hesitate to Issue Interpol Red Notice If Necessary for Organ Trafficking Associates]

Regardless of the wiretapping allegations, the repercussions of the audio file were enormous.

When Onodera ignored the recommendation to come to Korea for investigation, the police took a strong stance.

It was quite unusual to mention the Interpol Red Notice [an international arrest warrant] so soon after requesting entry.

The investigation headquarters was reinforced, and three additional superintendent-level personnel were dispatched.

Subpoenas were issued to countless Strategic Office and Wooshin Welfare Foundation officials.

[Hard Disks Replaced in Chairman Ko Sang-joon and Ko Yoon-soo’s Offices]

[Attempt to Destroy Evidence by the Chairman’s Family?]

[Hard Disk Replacement in Preparation for Forensics]

[Wooshin: Just Replaced Due to PC Failure]

[Ko Sang-joon Notifies Inability to Attend Police Due to Health Issues]

[Ko Yoon-soo Requests Coordination of Summons Date]

[Ko Yoon-soo’s Police Summons Postponed for a Week… Buying Time?]

As expected, Ko Sang-joon was hospitalized at Seoul Wooshin Hospital ahead of his police appearance.

Filial son Ko Yoon-soo also postponed the summons date under the pretext of taking care of his father.

It’s almost a tradition for older political and business figures to be taken to the hospital before an investigation.

But I wouldn’t recommend him lying down for too long.

Even if the schedule is postponed, Ko Yoon-soo will be investigated before Ko Sang-joon, right?

Ko Yoon-soo may not make meaningful statements from the first summons, but as more evidence pours out over time, he will betray Ko Sang-joon.

I can see the future just by the fact that he met me and proposed a negotiation, spouting nonsense that wouldn’t work.

The backlash will be great if he can’t properly deny the charges to the police and gets backstabbed by his son.

[Is the Wiretapping File Admissible as Evidence?]

[Legal Experts: “If It’s Wiretapping, Evidentiary Power Will Be Lost”]

[Police: No Traces of Wiretapping in the Acquired File]

[Investigation Headquarters: Will Actively Utilize the Audio File]

And again, time passed quickly, and the week that Ko Yoon-soo worked so hard to earn had passed.

Today, the day of Ko Yoon-soo’s police appearance, articles about the evidentiary power of the wiretapping file poured out.

The whole nation is predicting whether Ko Yoon-soo will admit to the charges.

Since Ko Yoon-soo was converted to a suspect because of the audio file, his admission depends on how he treats the file.

However, Ko Yoon-soo himself is probably not very interested in whether to admit the charges now.

The immediate priority for Ko Yoon-soo, whose agreement with me fell through, is to attempt to negotiate with Kim Mi-ja.

Of course, that’s only if he can get in touch with her.

* * *

“When will I be connected to Kim Mi-ja?”

Ko Yoon-soo asked the secretary sitting in the passenger seat in the car heading to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

“I’m sorry. We are trying through various channels, so if you wait a little longer…….”

“Do you know that you keep saying that?”

Ko Yoon-soo, who has lived a life where he can talk to anyone within an hour—except for the president—with just one word, ‘Connect me to this person,’ could not understand this situation.

Clearly, a major innovation is needed in Wooshin.

The system is creaking and is on the verge of collapsing.

“I’m sorry.”

“Damn it, can’t you say anything but sorry?”

Anyway, the organ trafficking exposure has already happened.

The probability of physical evidence coming out is almost zero, and it is difficult to derive a meaningful judgment in court with only one voice.

The public will resist, but isn’t the court supposed to take the heat?

It’s enough to just pretend you don’t remember during the investigation.

The top priority for Wooshin right now is one thing: preventing Kim Mi-ja’s prostitution exposure.

It seems that she has decided to expose everything, even if she has to bear all the criticism and legal responsibility that will be poured on her.

You can tell just by the fact that she went abroad under the guise of a business trip and is moving deliberately.

If the exposure starts, it won’t end with simple sexual favors.

The expansion of the case cannot be stopped.

“We will do our best to report progress.”

“Are you going to make me say cliches?”

“…….”

“Everyone does their best. The important thing is to do well.”

The easiest way to think about it now is to reveal Kim Mi-ja’s academic forgery.

What if it turns out that she doesn’t even have an elementary school diploma, let alone a doctorate?

What if everything about her, who was admired by Japanese women for her elegant image, was a lie?

If we pick out the provocative lies she made in public and spread her ignorant appearance or anecdotes on the Internet, people will rush in with excitement.

If we take advantage of that momentum and label her as having a pathological lying disorder [a compulsion to lie], it will be a worthwhile fight.

Even if Oda Satoshi’s status has fallen to the ground, people will trust him more than a patient with a pathological lying disorder.

Then, naturally, there is a greater possibility that the voice released by Kim Mi-ja will be seen as wiretapping.

At the same time, two problems are solved.

“How much longer until we get to the police station?”

“15 minutes left.”

But Wooshin can’t choose this good method comfortably.

This is because we have to consider the possibility that Kim Mi-ja has collected physical evidence of sexual favors.

Unlike organ trafficking, there was too much evidence that she, as a hostess manager, could collect without wiretapping.

Even if the wiretapping is illegally collected evidence by a private individual rather than an investigative agency, it is excluded, but the circumstances are different for other evidence.

Even if she illegally collected evidence, even if we make her a pathological liar, it can be adopted as long as the evidence is intact.

In the end, making her a psychopath without thinking is an easy way, but not a good way.

“Mr. President, we’re almost there.”

“I know. Shut up and go.”

But what if we can change Kim Mi-ja’s mind before she exposes prostitution?

The story changes.

If Kim Mi-ja, the source of the evidence and the witness, withdraws her intention, even Cha Joo-han cannot force it to explode.

It is a clear invasion of privacy and there is room for dispute.

Above all, Cha Joo-han, who is obsessed with ethics and justice, will not make such a choice.

“Mr. President.”

“…….”

We must contact Kim Mi-ja somehow before she exposes prostitution.

We need to let her know that she still has options she doesn’t know about.

If she stops here, Kim Mi-ja will not be attacked and her ugly past will not be revealed.

Achieving what you want without having to take responsibility is a very attractive temptation for the weak-hearted Kim Mi-ja.

Can that woman really resist?

“Um, Mr. President.”

“What is it again?”

“We have arrived. You have to get off now.”

I guess we arrived while I was lost in thought.

As soon as we arrived, reporters rushed in and flashed their cameras at the window.

This was a situation I had foreseen since the police rejected the private summons I had requested.

Ko Yoon-soo lowered his head for a moment and relaxed his facial muscles.

Then he opened the car door and went outside.

“How are you feeling right now?”

“Will you admit to the charges today?”

“Oda Satoshi claims that the audio file was wiretapped. What do you think about this?”

“Do you have anything to say to the victims?”

“Do you admit to destroying evidence?”

Ko Yoon-soo ignored the reporters who were constantly talking.

Several police officers who were waiting organized the reporters who had gathered, dressed in black, and Ko Yoon-soo was finally able to speak a little away from them.

He approached the pile of microphones and opened his mouth.

“I am sorry for causing concern to the public. I will faithfully cooperate with the investigation.”

And he rattled off the clichéd sentences.

It would be nice if I could go in right away, but I have to give them about a minute to take pictures.

He looked straight ahead with the most apologetic expression possible.

Thud!

It was then.

It seemed that a small object flew like an arrow and hit Ko Yoon-soo’s shoulder.

“Wooshin, apologize to the victims!”

“Apologize to the victims too!”

“Kneel down and apologize!”

This was the beginning.

People mixed in with the reporters began to throw raw eggs.

Thump! Thump! Thud!

Raw eggs flew countless times at his shoulders, chest, and arms.

Unpleasant liquids dripped sticky down his sleeves.

“Apologize, you son of a bitch!”

“You’re worse than a beast!”

The police officers next to him quickly approached and lowered Ko Yoon-soo’s body.

And they surrounded him and led him into the police station.

Ko Yoon-soo climbed the stairs of the police station as if he was being dragged.

“Ugh.”

He stumbled on the stairs because he was being pressed down by the police.

Ko Yoon-soo reflexively looked back.

Thump! Thud!

The raw eggs that were too far away to reach Ko Yoon-soo hit the floor and broke.

A fishy smell vibrated from all directions.

“Are you even human?”

“Admit it and apologize!”

Before he knew it, Ko Yoon-soo disappeared into the police station building.

However, the voices criticizing him did not stop.

Even in the place where he left, the public’s anger was overflowing.