Chapter 13
“Money is always the issue.”
“Oh, you’re here early.”
Prosecutor Park Hoon greeted with a sly smile as he sat down.
Seeing him, Executive Director Lee Min-sik barely held back his annoyance and forced a smile.
“It’s you who’s late, Prosecutor Park. By a whole ten minutes.”
“Oh, really? I’ve been so busy lately. But some new complications have come up, making me even more delayed.”
He was hinting that it was because of the issues with Samdo General Trading.
Lee Min-sik wasn’t oblivious to the meaning behind his words.
“I suppose being late is acceptable, as long as you’re doing your job right.”
“Of course, I’ll make sure everything’s done properly. The food looks great today.”
It was a sign to eat first and then talk.
Prosecutor Park picked up his chopsticks and began eating the dishes he liked.
Executive Director Lee Min-sik decided to let Prosecutor Park do as he pleased. Bringing up business matters now would be a mistake.
It would make him seem anxious.
It would mean giving up control.
“Please, help yourself. If there’s anything missing, let me know.”
“How about this?”
Prosecutor Park wiggled his pinky finger.
“We’ll see, depending on how things go.”
Lee Min-sik understood that this meant he’d only receive it after discussing business matters properly.
“Well, if that’s what you think, Executive Director.”
Prosecutor Park started eating as if he hadn’t had a proper meal in days.
In fact, he hadn’t eaten well in a few days. Moreover, he rarely had the chance to enjoy such luxurious food.
Executive Director Lee Min-sik also picked up his chopsticks and began eating.
They ate in silence for about twenty minutes before Prosecutor Park put down his chopsticks.
“Phew, that was great. You should invite me to places like this more often.”
“I’d be happy to, as long as everything goes well.”
“Haha. In that case, I’ll have to do a good job. But…”
Prosecutor Park deliberately hardened his expression.
“It seems like a nuisance has attached itself to this case.”
“A nuisance?”
“Song Law Firm.”
Executive Director Lee Min-sik laughed.
It seemed he had made the right move in handling them earlier.
“As you know, once Song Law Firm is involved, things get more complicated. No matter how much evidence we gather, the judge could still rule in their favour.”
He was referring to Song Law Firm’s connections.
“But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. If the prosecution pushes hard enough, even the judge won’t be able to look the other way.”
He was subtly asking for more money.
“You don’t have to worry about Song Law Firm, Prosecutor.”
“You’ve already taken care of it?”
Prosecutor Park looked disappointed.
“Song Law Firm has already backed off. So just focus on doing your job well, Prosecutor.”
“Well… understood. In that case, the prosecution will proceed with the investigation right away. However, excluding the police from the investigation will require a lot of persuasion.”
Thinking that this man was incredibly greedy, Executive Director Lee Min-sik said:
“I’ve already discussed it with Chief Prosecutor Jeon Jin-woong.”
Prosecutor Park’s face twisted.
If Chief Prosecutor Jeon Jin-woong had already agreed, there was no need to have this meeting.
Chief Prosecutor Jeon Jin-woong could simply summon him and give him the order.
Yet, Executive Director Lee Min-sik had still contacted him for this meeting.
“You’ve prepared everything already. But then, why did you contact me…?”
“You’re the one who’ll be doing all the real work, Prosecutor Park. It’s only right to show some appreciation to those who work hard.”
Prosecutor Park thought he wouldn’t receive much.
Still, it was better than getting nothing.
So, he changed his attitude.
“Thank you. I’ll do my best to make things work.”
Seeing the change in Prosecutor Park’s attitude, Executive Director Lee Min-sik smiled.
He finally understood who had the upper hand.
“I’m grateful to hear that you’ll do your best. Of course, I don’t intend to just express my thanks in words.”
Executive Director Lee Min-sik pulled out an envelope he had prepared.
“It’s a bit messy because it’s been passed around a lot.”
Prosecutor Park accepted the envelope and opened it.
Inside were bank notes.
Wrinkled and, as Lee Min-sik said, dirty.
“Haha. It really is messy.”
They were bank notes used by multiple people.
So they were indeed dirty. But it also meant they were untraceable.
All of them were 100,000 won bills.
“There are 100 of them. If things go well, I’m planning to prepare another 100 for you.”
For Prosecutor Park, 20 million won was a huge sum.
He had expected only a few million won at most.
“It seems this matter is more important than I thought. Must be a serious corporate secret.”
“It’s not just a corporate secret. It’s about setting an example.”
“An example?”
“We need to show what happens when someone dares to steal a project from Samdo Group.”
“Ah, I see.”
Prosecutor Park thought there must be another reason.
Perhaps someone involved in this case had offended Executive Director Lee Min-sik.
And his guess was partially correct.
Executive Director Lee Min-sik was using this case as a trophy for Samdo General Trading’s forced merger.
But more importantly, he wanted to ruin Lee Seon-su’s business after being blackmailed for an additional 300 million won.
He mistakenly believed that if Lee Jeong-seok’s case fell through, it would cause problems with the Gazprom deal as well.
“Well then, shall we have a drink?”
Executive Director Lee Min-sik called the server to bring in the prepared companions.
Prosecutor Park’s expression brightened even more.
“They said it’s a case filed by Samdo General Construction, so they’re busy,” he said.
And now, here they were.
The two men glared at each other.
It looked like a fight could break out at any moment.
“Director Im, we didn’t come here to fight.”
“I’m sorry, sir. But Attorney Kang Mu-song has no choice but to take on your case.”
What was he talking about?
Attorney Kang Mu-song’s expression changed.
He seemed a bit surprised.
“You’re planning to use that now?”
“Yes.”
“Are you serious? This is a one-time thing.”
“I’m serious. Besides, if not now, when will we ever use it?”
“Sigh.”
Attorney Kang Mu-song sighed deeply.
But he had made a promise to Director Im Kang-min.
Even so, he didn’t immediately agree.
“Is this client really that important?”
“Yes, he’s very important.”
“In what way?”
Director Im Kang-min clenched his fists again.
“He’s the one who saved our company when it was on the brink of collapse, you punk.”
His tone sounded like they were about to fight, but the atmosphere seemed more like that of close friends.
“Are you using this promise just because of the company?”
“You’re really getting on my nerves. Just as those powerless clients are important to you, my employees, who’ve believed in me and endured until now, are important to me. Are you telling me to abandon the employees who’ve trusted me all this time?”
Attorney Kang Mu-song nodded.
“You’ve got a strange way of making persuasive arguments sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
“I understand what you’re saying. But this time, it won’t work.”
Director Im Kang-min was genuinely upset.
Bang.
Crash.
When he slammed his fist on the desk, the documents scattered onto the floor.
“Is this the kind of person you are? A scumbag who doesn’t keep his promises?”
“Why don’t you let me finish talking?”
“What is there to say!”
“The promise I made was that I would prioritize helping you if something happened to you.”
The request to protect the redevelopment area wasn’t something that could be handled with 50 million won.
With 24-hour patrols and large-scale personnel movements, Super Guard had to mobilize not only its own employees but also hire employees from other companies.
That’s why Attorney Kang Mu-song had promised Director Im Kang-min that he would help him if he was ever in trouble.
“But this isn’t your problem!”
“Are you really going to do this? Can you call yourself a friend?”
“It’s because we’re friends that I’m listening this far. I’m really busy. Leave.”
While protecting the redevelopment area, they discovered that they were the same age.
And in order to prepare against the security forces, they ended up spending a lot of time together.
That’s how they became friends.
“Can I transfer the promise you made to me to my boss?”
I was going to sit back and watch.
I thought Director Im Kang-min would be able to convince him.
But now, I had to step in.
“Director Im, let me handle this.”
“Boss…”
Director Im Kang-min looked apologetic.
He had boldly stepped forward, saying he could take care of it, but it hadn’t worked out.
“It’s fine.”
Attorney Kang Mu-song stared at me intently.
“No matter what you say, what can’t be done won’t be done.”
“Are you sure?”
Attorney Kang Mu-song laughed.
It was the laugh of someone who believed there was no way.
“Can’t you see all this? I’m buried in work. And if you’re rich enough to hire a security company, why not go to a different firm?”
“Didn’t you hear? It’s a lawsuit against Samdo General Trading.”
“There must be other lawyers willing to take on a case against Samdo Group. But…”
Attorney Kang Mu-song slapped the documents with his palm.
“These people—no one else will fight for them except me. Because they have no money.”
No money.
That’s the truth.
It’s correct, though it means something different here.
“I see. So they have no money.”
“Yes. So please, don’t waste your time here. Just leave.”
“Attorney, you don’t have money either, do you?”
Attorney Kang Mu-song was dumbfounded.
“Yes, I don’t have money. That’s why I work alone without an office manager. Now, leave.”
“You don’t even have any assistant attorneys either.”
Attorney Kang Mu-song was getting annoyed.
“Yes, I don’t have any. Just go!”
Now he was yelling.
“You could hire one, you know.”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said? I don’t have money!”
“Which is why I think you should take on my case.”
Attorney Kang Mu-song looked at me as if I were a crazy person.
He wanted to curse me out and throw me out of his office.
But with Director Im Kang-min here, he couldn’t do that.
Director Im Kang-min would ensure the security operations were thorough, even if it meant breaking the bones of his own friends.
“Really? Will you pay me, say, a billion won as a retainer?”
Attorney Kang Mu-song believed I would never offer him a billion won.
Who would walk into such a shabby lawyer’s office and offer a billion won just to take on a case?
“How about ten billion?”
“I knew it, I knew you wouldn’t… How much?”
“Ten billion.”
“…….”
Attorney Kang Mu-song thought he had misheard.
“I originally paid Song Law Firm five billion as a retainer. When they cancelled the contract, I received five billion as a penalty fee. That’s why I’m offering ten billion.”
“W-wait a minute. Do you know what a retainer really means?”
“Are you saying that it’s money I won’t get back, even if you don’t finish the job?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Even if we lose the case, you won’t be able to get back the 10 billion won.”
“If it’s truly a crime, we’ll lose the case. Then, I’ll accept it as it is. But I don’t think it’s a crime.”
If what Samdo General Trading is accusing them of is considered a crime, then nearly everyone who leaves a company to start their own business would be committing a crime.
That’s because most people utilize the skills and connections they acquired while working at their previous companies to start their own businesses.
“We’re up against the Samdo Group. It’s going to be a tough fight.”
“I know that. That’s why I need you, Attorney Kang. I need someone who will fight till the end if we’re not guilty.”
Attorney Kang Mu-song felt a strange sensation in his chest.
It was because he had often said similar words to others.
There were hardly any people willing to go up against a conglomerate in a lawsuit.
He had to persuade them.
‘Why should those who are innocent be more afraid? If I believe they’re innocent, I will fight until the end. That’s the duty of someone who has learned the law!’
Yet, there were still many who were not persuaded.
Even those who were persuaded gave up halfway through, after being worn down by the lengthy litigation and the conglomerate’s threats and bribes.
“I can fight till the end.”
He’s come over to my side.
“But we’re talking about a conglomerate here. They have influence even in the legal community.”
He had already felt their power many times.
If evidence unfavourable to them surfaced, the court would postpone the trial to give them time to respond.
On the other hand, when the tables were turned, the court would never allow a postponement.
“It might just drag on for a long time, and we might not win.”
“Isn’t prolonging it something only you can do, Attorney Kang? That’s what I think.”
There was some truth in his words.
There weren’t many lawyers willing to hold on persistently like that.
“You said 10 billion won was just the retainer.”
Attorney Kang Mu-song slightly shook his head.
“Are you saying you’ll give more?”
“Yes. By the time you hire a few more lawyers, find a manager, and support students, there wouldn’t be much left from that 10 billion, would there?”
Attorney Kang Mu-song was taken aback.
“How do you know I support students…?”
He hadn’t handled the 10-year-long lawsuit against the conglomerates all by himself.
He had supported students who couldn’t afford to study whenever he could.
Some of those students had even become lawyers.
“I just thought it might be the case, and it turns out I was right.”
“…….”
Attorney Kang Mu-song started to see Lee Seon-su differently.
“It’ll help with the ongoing lawsuits, too. There will be many costly things to take care of, I imagine.”
Just as Lee Seon-su had said, in the case of dealing with wastewater, there was no place in Korea that would conduct a proper examination.
So, they had to do it abroad.
“But can you actually hire more lawyers?”
This was a separate issue.
No matter how much money one has, it’s useless if you can’t hire lawyers.
“There are a few lawyers who have been helping me. If I had the resources, I would like to bring them on board.”
It was a feasible idea if he received the 10 billion won as a retainer.
However, there was still something bothering him.
“But we might just end up wasting time and still lose the case. It could take several years.”
“That’s fine. Time is even more important in this matter.”
Even if the Samdo Group exerted its influence, they needed a counterforce that wouldn’t waver.
It would take time to build such a force.
“If that’s the case, would it be presumptuous of me to take on your case?”
He couldn’t resist the temptation of the 10 billion won.
It wasn’t as if he was being asked to defend something illegal.
It would be a tough battle, but he wasn’t being forced to win at all costs either.
With that 10 billion won, he could make tremendous progress in the current lawsuits.
He could continue to pursue the dozens of cases currently underway.
“That’s why I’m here. Let’s draft the contract, Attorney Kang.”
“Thank You.”
Attorney Kang Mu-song began drafting the contract.
He would occasionally ask for Lee Seon-su’s input.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Comment