The Lawyer Who Reads Tomorrow - Chapter 34

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 34

 

 

“….”

 

No one could continue speaking.

Not me, not Noh Hae-min, not Sage.

 

What filled the inside of the wall was.

 

“…This is what they fed the kids….”

 

Finally, Sage’s lips parted.

 

It was content I already knew.

That product I had heard about ad nauseam in the recordings.

 

It was the same product as the collagen drink I had brought from Da-ye’s house, and at the same time.

 

“There’s too much.”

 

Right, there was too much.

 

Noh Hae-min closed his mouth again, overwhelmed by the sheer quantity.

Inside the torn plywood was a heap of collagen drink bottles that hadn’t been disposed of yet.

 

“This much seems like it was intentionally stockpiled.”

“I don’t think so.”

 

Noh Hae-min’s doubt was also justified.

But would guys who go around causing this much trouble really need to leave evidence behind?

 

Even if they hid it because they didn’t have the capacity to deal with it right away, they would come back to retrieve it.

 

“Then?”

“Probably, the components remaining in this drink were the problem.”

 

With this amount, even if they fed it to ten people daily, it would have lasted several months.

 

I picked up several bottles that had spilled out.

It was the same product I had seen at Da-ye’s house, but unlike that one, small stickers were attached.

 

 

“…Drugs.”

 

Moreover, it was a proper illegal experiment.

I examined several more bottles. Only the Subject ID was different; they appeared to be the same drug.

 

“…What?”

 

Noh Hae-min was rolling his eyes around anxiously.

 

“They were conducting drug experiments.”

 

Inside this wall, every bottle rolling around had stickers attached.

 

“There are even warning labels for no replication and internal use only.”

 

Most importantly, INJ.

Based on the notation, this seemed to have been an injectable.

If it was contained in collagen drinks, they must have illegally converted it for oral administration.

 

No, since this kind of experiment itself was illegal, everything was illegal in the end.

 

“…Huh….”

 

I approached Sage, who was now covering his mouth and crying, and held out a bottle.

 

“Did you drink this too?”

“…N-no… No.”

“Then, did you see who drank it?”

 

Sage’s wet eyes wavered.

He hesitated, taking several deep breaths.

Noh Hae-min gently embraced his trembling shoulders as trauma seemed to surface.

 

“…I saw… it. I didn’t know there were stickers like that attached though….”

“When?”

“At the agency too… and here, when I was… brought here….”

“…Who did they feed it to?”

“Kids like Da-ye. Young… girls.”

 

I should also consider the possibility that they deliberately didn’t dispose of the bottles beforehand.

Since they managed them with matching logs.

 

That also meant they would come back.

They probably buried them temporarily while hastily dealing with things because of Sage.

 

I took photos of the bottles filling the wall and several sample sticker photos,

then sealed several bottles in a bag and put them in my bag.

 

“Why are you….”

“Because I need to investigate.”

 

Time was of the essence.

Because Da-ye had to be alive.

 

To find Da-ye within those two days mentioned in Sung Tae-hyun’s diary and clear Sage of suspicion, even ten bodies wouldn’t be enough.

 

“They probably couldn’t have gone far.”

“….”

“Sage, no, Lee Se-hyung. You said there were many people at this location?”

 

Sage was trembling violently but still met my gaze directly.

It seemed he had somehow managed to collect his emotions a bit.

 

“…Yes, quite a lot. There was strange equipment too… and what looked like a drug-specific refrigerator… now that I think about it, there might have been one. Beds, desks, and things like that too….”

 

They must have had quite a hard time clearing all that out in such a short period.

This also explained why they had carelessly left behind evidence.

 

“What about the victims? Was it just Shin Da-ye?”

“…I’m not sure… Oh, during the day it seemed like only Da-ye was there. When I was escaping, I was dragged to another room so I couldn’t see….”

 

So it was blatantly drug experimentation after all.

From the recording Sage had sent, I thought entertainment was the main crime.

There was definitely something bigger behind this.

 

“…Let’s search a bit more. There might be something else.”

“…Yes. Oh, I think there was something like an office on this floor too-“

 

That’s when it happened.

 

“If you’re going to run away, don’t come back.”

 

A tired, low voice echoed through the empty building.

 

“How troublesome.”

 

In an instant, Sage’s body collapsed and began trembling violently.

Noh Hae-min reflexively stepped in front of Sage and looked around nervously.

 

“Looking for something? Ah, that girlfriend of yours?”

 

It was a tall man.

 

The man who leisurely appeared through the entrance on the first floor wore a black mask and black hat, so his face wasn’t clearly visible.

 

However, considering his overall appearance—his clothing, voice, the glimpse of his eyes, and height—he seemed to be in his mid-to-late thirties.

 

“…Hwan.”

 

There are facts you can know even without having seen them before.

 

The owner of the number Da-ye’s father had given me.

The man who had been like a thorn stuck in his throat.

 

It was definitely him.

 

“I’m honored that you recognize me.”

 

He answered as if it wasn’t surprising at all.

His consistently relaxed attitude was like that of someone dealing with children who had wandered into his front yard.

 

“Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun.”

 

That’s right.

He would have known my name at least.

My name had already appeared in the gossip sheet Lee Na-yoon had told me about.

 

An organization that had processed the aftermath this quickly after Sage’s escape wouldn’t be unaware of such gossip sheets.

 

His polite attitude was more like a veil.

As if trying to remind me of something, he took out his mobile phone and waved it lightly in the air.

 

“You even called me, but I was in a rather tired situation.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. If I had known we’d meet like this, I would have saved your number in advance.”

 

Were there no other people?

 

In the quiet building, no sounds could be heard except for the footsteps of the man who had somehow approached right in front of me.

Surprisingly, he seemed to be alone.

 

“I’m Hwan.”

 

The man politely extended one hand.

It was the attitude of a predator trying to gain the upper hand even in his own front yard.

 

“I’m Sung Tae-hyun.”

 

I silently extended my hand and grasped the man’s hand.

 

Was it a traumatic panic reaction?

Sage was panting and being supported by Noh Hae-min as if clinging to him.

 

“Is Hwan your real name?”

 

The question that suddenly escaped my lips was something I had been curious about all along.

The man hesitated for a moment, then gripped my hand tightly, shook it a few times, and let go.

 

“…It’s just a name used in this line of work.”

“So it’s not your real name.”

“…You’re definitely the first person to ask something like that, Lawyer.”

 

The man answered flatly while rolling his eyes.

 

“You’re stronger than you look.”

 

His gaze, which had lingered a bit long on the paint-covered wall, returned.

His voice, which had barely shown any emotion, carried a faint hint of laughter.

 

“…Damn bastards, always doing things so fucking badly, making people annoyed-“

 

The man who had been grumbling to himself in a quiet voice burst into a gentle laugh.

The man’s gaze, who had spat out curses as if he could turn violent at any moment, was directed straight at Sage.

 

“You know too, don’t you, lawyer? This kind of business… it’s a bit tiring. Exhausting. Always having to deal with bastards who fuck things up like this…”

“…”

“I can barely get any rest. This industry is really like that. Fuck, I can’t even take vacation days. Look at today. If I hadn’t come…”

“…”

“It would have been fucked.”

“What do you want.”

 

At my voice cutting off his words, the man’s lips pressed tightly shut.

His gleaming eyes shone strangely as they turned toward me.

 

Sage, who was watching me and the man while holding his breath, was completely frozen even while hiding behind Noh Hae-min.

 

“Good. What I want isn’t that difficult.”

“…”

“It’s a bit troublesome… but since our lawyer has graced us with his presence all the way here…”

 

The man looked back and forth between me and Sage as if calculating something, then fixed his gaze completely on me.

 

Was he suggesting we negotiate?

I opened my mouth before he could speak.

 

“Shin Da-ye. Where is she.”

 

As soon as I finished speaking, he burst into hearty laughter and shook his head.

 

“That’s too direct, isn’t it?”

“I hate wasting time.”

“Ah… this is why I hate dealing with lawyers.”

 

The man seemed completely exhausted.

Hwan, who had been muttering to himself for a moment, lifted the hat on his head and ran his fingers through his hair several times.

 

“Let’s keep this quiet.”

 

He raised his finger and pointed at the broken partition wall.

 

“That thing, my boys messed up. So I’ll let it slide this once.”

“What do you mean.”

“Let’s keep things nice and friendly.”

 

The man’s pitch-black sunken eyes gleamed with madness.

As if he could dispose of me, Noh Hae-min, and Sage all at once.

His eyeballs flashed.

 

“I’ll turn a blind eye, so let’s finish today quietly, without any incidents.”

“…Shin Da-ye is-“

“Shh. You keep worrying about unnecessary things. You don’t need to know that far.”

 

The man approached with his thick hands as if to cover my mouth.

When I reflexively stepped back and away, giggling laughter followed.

 

“Your client is Lee Se-hyung, isn’t it, lawyer?”

“…”

“So let’s play tag later.”

“…Hwan.”

“I’ll spare Lee Se-hyung. You too, and that useless-looking blonde. This is a profitable deal for your side too. Haha.”

 

The man, Hwan.

 

This damn bastard didn’t seem to know yet that I had taken some of those bottles.

 

For now, getting out of here was the priority.

Sage’s condition wasn’t good.

Right now it was just Hwan alone, but someone else might burst in soon.

 

“Fine.”

 

When I answered, Hwan’s face lit up brightly.

The madness that had been gleaming in his eyes also gradually disappeared.

 

However, the next moment, the man closed the distance and approached, starting to pat down my body.

From my upper chest to my lower body, down to my ankles.

The man who touched me in order as if checking for something smiled irritably and said.

 

“Looks like you’ve been around the block a bit, our lawyer. You’re not surprised.”

“Were you trying to surprise me?”

“Just checking if you took anything. These days petty thieves are rampant… ah, don’t take it the wrong way.”

 

The man who had finished searching Noh Hae-min and Sage in turn slowly removed his hands and dusted them off.

 

“I don’t have a taste for touching men’s bodies either. Just in case you misunderstand.”

 

What a fucking bastard.

 

Having experience with thugs, I had secretly thrown the evidence I had hidden outside the window beforehand.

 

Outside the window were only weeds that had grown wild and thick from lack of maintenance.

Naturally, the bottle I had thrown wasn’t visible.

 

“…”

“And lastly.”

 

The man grinned and extended one hand.

 

“Mobile phone.”

“….”

“Ah, didn’t I mention this? Well, whatever… if you want to live, let’s see it. Mobile phone.”

 

Damn it.

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