The Lawyer Who Reads Tomorrow - Chapter 134

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 134

 

Sung Tae-jun’s face hardened at the suddenly mentioned incinerator.

 

“Hyung, I don’t know what you’re imagining right now. Isn’t that too extreme?”

 

Reality is that extreme.

 

I hope it’s not true.

 

However, for me who had been rolling around the Criminal Court for decades, it was a familiar thing.

 

Rather, reality was often more cruel than novels, dramas, or movies.

 

“Wasn’t there anything that came in involving illegal incineration or something like that?”

 

There might not be any.

 

In the first place, all those sites that Sung Tae-jun mentioned were located in places that were hard to find and had little foot traffic.

 

Moreover, many of them were places that even local residents avoided because they were rumored to be haunted houses.

 

“Incineration… well.”

 

Sung Tae-jun reached back to the rear seat and picked up several files that had been scattered carelessly.

 

“…Is it this one?”

 

Then he silently opened the file and began rummaging through the unorganized documents.

 

After thinking for a moment, Sung Tae-jun pulled out several photos that had been scattered over the documents and handed them to me.

 

“That was probably when we first caught him. It was an abandoned factory site.”

 

Kim Do-seop. It was a photo where his face was clearly captured.

 

Dirty blankets, sleeping bags, and tables with signs of daily life were placed in the background, apparently photographed by the police for evidence.

 

“He claimed to be a homeless person, and well, it’s true that his address was unclear.”

 

“…It’s here.”

 

I pointed to the rusted incineration facility that was hidden in one corner of the photo because it wasn’t considered important.

 

Torn insulation material, a furnace covered with grease.

 

It was a crude setup.

 

However, it was a temporary incineration facility with even a proper partition wall set up, too elaborate to be seen as simply lighting a fire because of the cold.

 

It seemed to have utilized something that originally existed there.

 

In my view, rather.

 

“Instead of inside a building with a perfectly good roof. Isn’t it strange that he put his sleeping bag outside where the incineration facility is?”

 

“…The factory building itself is locked with a padlock even though it’s an abandoned building. Oh, and hyung. This wasn’t originally my case-”

 

He’s grumbling.

 

Sung Tae-jun’s face turned red as if he’d been criticized for sloppy investigation, and he protested.

 

“Ah, really. I just confirmed this now too.”

 

“You should have looked more carefully. Someone who trespassed on the site could tear off a rusty lock anytime. That kind of thing would break if you hit it with a rock a few times.”

 

“….”

 

“The purpose itself seems different.”

 

Since they focused on the gift certificate fraud and extorting money from caregivers, they probably didn’t even think about it.

 

Sung Tae-jun continued while examining the related records.

 

“Well, what. Looking at it, our side did search that incineration facility. But they said nothing came up.”

 

“Tae-jun.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

“You should have told them to examine the surrounding area too. Ah, is it difficult for you to get cooperation right now?”

 

“…Hyung, even so, the incineration facility is the problem. Well, this kind of thing is just your speculation.”

 

I can’t believe this guy would say something like this.

 

Frustration rose up to my throat.

 

No, that’s not it.

 

The more important thing isn’t this.

 

It was my client’s safety.

 

“If there was clear evidence, I’d also request cooperation- you know. I’m the youngest.”

 

Damn it.

 

My heart suddenly started pounding.

 

404.

 

That’s right.

 

Kim Do-seop was from the Caregiver Referral Center, and the one who connected him there was.

 

“…Nursing hospital. Yoo Pil-chang.”

 

I felt like all the blood was draining from my body.

 

What are the chances that Kim Do-seop is just a simple fraudster at this point?

 

What are the chances that he’s just a petty criminal of no importance, as Sung Tae-jun and his colleagues investigated?

 

Sometimes Intuition hits your throat before logic does.

 

Yeah, that’s right. Like right now.

 

“Tea, now.”

 

A voice that sounded choked came out.

 

Sung Tae-jun turned his gaze toward me, seemingly surprised by the sudden instruction.

 

I didn’t meet his puzzled gaze and contacted 404 with trembling hands.

 

The Chat Window is still alive.

 

It hasn’t been deleted yet.

 

[ME]: Nothing wrong, right?

 

[404]: ??Why? I’m drinking Apple Juice right now~

 

[ME]: Just in case. Be careful. You’re not talking to anyone else besides Han Kyung-ho, right?

 

[404]: Yeah lol why don’t you just come visit if you’re so worried about the consul

 

The conversation that had continued until morning was still there.

 

Yeah, maybe it’s just my imagination.

 

It had to be.

 

Checking with my own eyes wouldn’t be a bad thing.

 

I left a single line of chat.

 

[ME]: 404

 

During his stay at the Nursing Hospital, 404 would reply to my chats within a minute at most, saying he was bored.

 

So this is really.

 

“Hyung. What’s wrong. Are you okay?”

 

A worried gaze reached me.

 

I couldn’t answer and sent a few more chats.

 

[ME]: What are you doing

 

[ME]: Right now

 

[ME]: Are you okay?

 

No response.

 

Sung Tae-hyun’s body began to grow cold on its own.

 

As if this was the ‘bad thing’ that Sung Tae-hyun had mentioned in his Diary.

 

My heart pounded wildly, beating against my ribs.

 

5th Floor.

 

Yoo Pil-chang.

 

Sedative.

 

404’s refusal.

 

Sleep.

 

Caregiver.

 

“Ha…”

 

I thought it was a scam.

 

So, even when I went to the Center to find Kim Do-seop.

 

Even when I couldn’t find him at the motel, I thought the same.

 

Because there was no evidence.

 

Don’t prejudge. That’s how I was taught, practiced, and lived.

 

So securing evidence of cash theft from 404’s bank account, that was barely my purpose.

 

However.

 

“Hyung!”

 

404 didn’t answer.

 

I picked up my mobile phone and called 404’s caregiver that I had arranged separately.

 

He was diligent.

 

Always morning and afternoon. He would even report his work hours to me.

 

The fact that he was around 404’s age also helped.

 

Finding a caregiver of that age wasn’t easy.

 

But.

 

-The customer cannot take your call…

 

An automated response played.

 

“Sung Tae-hyun!”

 

Cold sweat broke out.

 

Should I have forcibly hospitalized 404 somewhere else?

 

We had to transfer hospitals.

 

Damn it, I shouldn’t have respected 404’s judgment.

 

No matter how much he insisted, I should have pushed through.

 

As a result, I might have put 404, the Client, him, in danger-

 

“Get it together! Hyung, are you okay?”

 

Someone grabbed my shoulder hard, pulling me out of my thoughts as I gasped for breath.

 

My mind went cold and settled.

 

“A Nursing Hospital. We need to go there right now.”

 

My eyes met Sung Tae-jun’s.

 

404 might be in trouble because of my mistake.

 

That thought turned my mind white.

 

If not Sung Tae-jun, I had to go alone.

 

Right, damn it.

 

I’m not a judge right now.

 

Sitting on the damn Judge’s Bench and assessing the situation isn’t my job right now.

 

But because of me, 404 might-

 

“Got it.”

 

Sung Tae-jun nodded.

 

“We just need to go now, right. A Nursing Hospital.”

 

“Yeah, quickly.”

 

Sung Tae-jun didn’t ask any more questions.

 

He seemed to intuitively sense this was related to Kim Do-seop.

 

With the Accelerator pressed so hard my body was pushed back, I couldn’t even think to blame his rough driving.

 

-Yes, Lawyer.

 

Instead, I called Section Chief Yoon Ha-young who would be in Seoul.

 

* * *

 

A Nursing Hospital Parking Lot.

 

It was a place I had been to before.

 

Back then, I had brought my own car.

 

Sung Tae-jun stepped on the brake with a screeching sound.

 

It seemed like he had been affected by my briefly anxious emotions from a moment ago.

 

Having quickly regained my composure during the drive back to the nursing hospital, I kicked open the passenger seat door and jumped out as soon as the car stopped.

 

“Ah, hyung!”

 

I heard Sung Tae-jun grumbling something behind me, but all I could see was A Nursing Hospital.

 

It was eerily quiet.

 

There were few cars in the parking lot.

 

And.

 

【●● Center】

 

“Damn it.”

 

So there was a reason Kim Do-seop wasn’t at the motel.

 

Of course, it might not be the case.

 

But at this timing, a familiar Caregiver Mediation Center vehicle parked in A Nursing Hospital’s parking lot.

 

The large van looked normal from the outside.

 

But the timing was bad.

 

I gestured toward Sung Tae-jun, pointing at that vehicle.

 

“…!”

 

Sung Tae-jun immediately understood my intention and turned to head toward the vehicle.

 

I ran toward the door of the quiet hospital.

 

Checking on 404’s condition came first.

 

-The customer cannot answer the phone…

 

The caregiver still couldn’t be reached.

 

Han Kyung-ho was the same.

 

Like this, all at once, everyone’s not answering their phones?

 

It was so absurd I could almost laugh.

 

As I reached out to open the door I had just arrived at, a security guard who appeared from somewhere stopped me and blocked my way.

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

“What is it.”

 

Another security guard came out from inside the entrance and pointed to a nearby banner.

 

“Ah, there’s an event at the hospital today.”

 

“An event?”

 

“Yes. We sent text messages to all the guardians… Did you perhaps not receive the notification?”

 

No wonder there were so few people in the parking lot.

 

I searched through my text messages but didn’t see anything in particular.

 

“What kind of event is it?”

 

“Well… it’s an event hosted by the Hospital Director, so we don’t know the details either…”

 

What kind of strange event is that?

 

No, let me calm down.

 

If he really was mobilized for an event, it would make sense that Han Kyung-ho wasn’t answering his phone.

 

However, the way the man was alternately looking at my face and the mobile phone he was holding while whispering with the other security guard seemed strange somehow.

 

I moved closer to them.

 

“I’m the guardian of patient Lee Yeon-woo in the 3rd Floor VIP Room. Would it be difficult to just go in and check on her briefly?”

 

“Ah, well…”

 

“I’ll look in quietly so as not to disturb the event. I’m worried because I can’t reach the caregiver either.”

 

When I didn’t back down, the security guard who had been whispering in the back shook his head and approached me.

 

Ah, now I could see he was the team leader.

 

A name tag reading “Security Team Leader, Kang Won-ho” was hanging on his chest.

 

“You’re Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun, aren’t you.”

 

So he already knows who I am.

 

I stared at the lobby hidden beyond his large frame.

 

The first floor lobby was brightly lit, but the employees who were usually sitting at the desk were nowhere to be seen.

 

The Security Team Leader seemed to notice my gaze and blocked my view with his body as he spoke to me.

 

“I heard you caused a disturbance at the hospital before.”

 

“A disturbance?”

 

Haha.

 

At the laughter that escaped without my knowing, his face hardened stiffly.

 

“Yes. A disturbance. Professor Yoo Pil-chang was bedridden for quite some time because of that incident.”

 

“Go on.”

 

“Instead of our hospital filing charges, we reached an agreement to ban the lawyer from entering.”

 

“With whom?”

 

He didn’t answer that question.

 

Not surprising at all.

 

Since it might become a problem, they’re just going to remove the source entirely.

 

“…You’ll be contacted in writing. That’s probably why you didn’t receive the event-related text messages.”

 

“How nice. Interfering with patient and guardian visits like this.”

 

“Strictly speaking, you’re more of a defense attorney than a guardian-”

 

“You know that perfectly well.”

 

I brushed off his words and looked toward the back of the lobby.

 

Strange shadows had been flickering there for a while now.

 

How strange. They say there’s an event, but there’s no one in the lobby except security guards.

 

Meanwhile, clattering sounds drifted in through the thin glass doors.

 

Though it was hard to see clearly due to the desk and partition walls blocking the view, something that looked like a bed wrapped in white cloth was being moved.

 

“…Ex-excuse me. Lawyer, are you listening to me?”

 

“No.”

 

I walked toward the lobby as if entranced.

 

However, the security team leader didn’t step aside easily.

 

Instead, he pushed against my body to block me.

 

“What patient is being moved back there?”

 

“…”

 

“And what’s this event hosted by the hospital director. My name is registered in this hospital’s system as a guardian registered by the patient. Blocking me without proper notice will only cause problems.”

 

The security team leader glanced toward where I was pointing, then glared back at me.

 

“That’s overstepping your authority. Lawyer, this is a hospital, and there’s no reason we need to explain every single thing unrelated to guardians.”

 

“Ah.”

 

I don’t have time for this.

 

I really didn’t like this.

 

I lifted the corners of my mouth to create a smiling expression and looked at the security team leader.

 

“Fine. Mr. Kang Won-ho. I came here with the police.”

 

Sung Tae-jun, who had finished checking the vehicle, was coming up the stairs.

 

I smiled crookedly and spoke to Kang Won-ho, whose eyes were slightly shaking.

 

“If you don’t open it right now, you’ll also be investigated on suspicion of being involved in criminal activity. Fine. I don’t mind.”

 

Of course, it was close to just random bullshit I was spouting.

 

But Sung Tae-jun arrived with perfect timing.

 

And he quickly pulled out his ID card and presented it to the security team leader.

 

“Police.”

 

Kang Won-ho’s lips stiffened.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————