The Lawyer Who Reads Tomorrow - Chapter 67

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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 67

 

 

[Documentary A] Cardia, Who is the Real Satan?

 

Production finished faster than expected.

The broadcasting station PD, who was supposedly Lee Na-yoon’s friend, happened to be planning a social exposé documentary and eagerly took the bait on the proposal I sent.

 

“Wow… Attorney Sung, you really went through a lot.”

 

Noh Hae-min gaped as he watched the documentary.

Well, he had only come briefly on the last day when we were escaping.

This was his first time facing what I, Lim Do-hyuk, and Deputy Yoon Ha-young had gone through.

 

-This is the Cardia Cult. Our Documentary A team attempted to make contact through the contact information listed on the Cardia Cult homepage, but…

 

The documentary was largely composed of videos that Deputy Yoon Ha-young and I had filmed, along with interviews from people around us.

After I escaped, the already closed-off Cardia Cult became even more inaccessible.

 

The PD producing the documentary made several interview requests in the video, but no response came from behind the firmly closed doors.

 

-When a certain lawyer, who had never met them before, persistently pursued a child they called Satan within their group, they resorted to kidnapping and confinement.

 

Hmm. It wasn’t wrong, though.

They were definitely Lee Na-yoon’s friend.

They knew how to package the same words to sound more serious.

 

-They even made plans to marry said lawyer to Kim Rachel, the cult leader’s younger sister and practically the deputy leader of the cult, to incorporate him into their organization.

 

Hmm.

It was all facts I had mentioned during the interview.

Even so, I could feel Noh Hae-min and Deputy Yoon Ha-young glancing at my face from time to time.

 

A crudely made wedding invitation that seemed to have been photographed by Deputy Yoon Ha-young rather than me appeared as reference material.

The wedding invitation with me and Kim Rachel composited together looked obviously strange in design even with the mosaic.

 

[404]: Hahahahahahaha you’re getting married????

[404]: Hahaha almost got married hahaha almost did hahaha

[404]: wait but was Kim Rachel pretty?

[404]: answer me; I’m kinda urgent;

[404]: But lolololol I almost married the daughter of a god lolololol

 

Even 404, who I hadn’t been able to contact because I’d been busy, was going crazy.

 

My face felt hot for no reason.

Marriage? That was just a baptism they forced on me.

 

Especially that wedding invitation design.

The bow tie around the composited Sung Tae-hyun’s neck was seriously bothering me.

Even if Sung Tae-hyun’s face was handsome, that was a bit much.

 

[404]: Who made that edit lololololol

 

See that.

Even this young punk is laughing at it.

This is all because of Cardia, who paid no attention to design whatsoever.

 

Anyway, the documentary interspersed with interviews from people around us was racing toward its climax.

 

-…Mr. Park–.

 

Ah, that part.

That day. The day I discovered Park Noah being abused.

 

Whether it was the PD’s direction, my voice appeared as subtitles over a pitch-black screen.

Except for key figures within the cult, all real names had been de-identified.

 

-Attorney Sung–, do I look like I’m joking right now?

-Joking? A joke? The sacred ritual to drive out the Satan that has possessed my son, right now. You think this looks like a joke?

-That’s what I’m saying. When Satan leaves our Park– Lucemiel’s body, Miss Lim– will return.

 

My heart began beating irregularly.

 

Is it starting again?

Now just thinking about the child’s appearance from that day made my hands and feet go cold.

Yet the fact that my mind remained clear was rather confusing.

My face must have looked quite something because Noh Hae-min approached and patted my back.

 

“Attorney Sung, did you get indigestion?”

 

At times like this, Noh Hae-min’s obliviousness was actually helpful.

Though sometimes he was surprisingly perceptive.

I slowly sipped the chamomile tea he offered.

I should be grateful I didn’t faint like that day.

 

-As you can see, situations incomprehensible by common sense were frequently occurring within the cult.

-Our Documentary A production team requested a phone interview with Mr. Park, a Cardia Cult member and father of the victim known as ‘Satan’s child,’ but…

 

The PD attempting to make phone calls from inside a broadcasting station vehicle passed by for a few seconds.

Shaking his head was the end of that direction.

 

And now.

It was the climax.

 

* * *

 

“What is this!”

 

Just moments ago, Lim Sang-jin hurled the ashtray beside him at Park Ji-hwan, who had come from Haeil.

 

Kim Yo-han’s words were true.

Documentary?

Did Sung Tae-hyun really have such connections?

 

That stupid video was full of malicious editing.

Lim Sang-jin trembled with rage as he lifted his golf club.

The flower pots decorating the study room broke one by one.

 

“…Representative, please calm down first.”

 

Even though years had passed since leaving Haeil, Park Ji-hwan still called Lim Sang-jin Representative.

 

He was someone I had personally brought and raised when he was at Haeil.

His loyalty was unmatched, so Lim Sang-jin never laid a hand on Park Ji-hwan.

 

“Huff, huff….”

“It seems those youngsters have gathered quite a few allies.”

“Th-this-!”

 

But his anger wasn’t subsiding.

 

Flower pots that had been sent from various places for Lim Sang-jin, who loved plants, during birthdays, holidays, and various events, lay shattered and scattered on the floor.

But at times like this, no amount of destruction could relieve his stress.

There was a time when his fists would fly at his own children first, but after the kids became independent, even that became difficult.

 

“Representative.”

 

Park Ji-hwan knelt down as if he couldn’t bear to watch this sight.

It was his usual behavior whenever Lim Sang-jin’s anger exploded.

It was also loyalty meant to hide the true nature of former Representative Lim Sang-jin that had never leaked outside of Haeil.

 

Lim Sang-jin threw the golf club behind his desk.

The sound of something else breaking echoed with a crash.

 

“So, what’s the solution?”

“…Representative.”

 

His vision was red.

Was this what it meant to feel heat rushing to the top of one’s head?

 

The arrogant face of that youngster he had met at his son’s studio apartment a few days ago wouldn’t leave his mind.

And then, it had come to this.

 

“Tell me the solution first! Did I teach you like that?”

 

Lim Sang-jin burst into anger and shouted.

 

“That damn documentary PD, can you contact him? Tell me that first!”

“Well, that’s….”

 

Of all people, Lim Do-hyuk had given an interview.

He was his own son.

 

When Park Mu-hyun politely said he would confine his son for just a few days, Lim Sang-jin had agreed.

It was to finally fix his son’s bad habits this time.

He should have looked into it when he suddenly quit his job at the branch office and insisted on coming up to the main office.

 

“Huff, huff….”

 

Between his rough breathing, Sung Tae-hyun’s face floated up.

 

Was it because of that damn bastard?

Lim Do-hyuk was someone who had never once rebelled against him.

No matter what he did outside, he would tremble and bow his head at a single word from him.

 

That’s why he had decided to pass Haeil on to him.

But.

 

“Delete at least Do-hyuk’s interview part.”

“That’s… the video has already spread too much.”

 

Park Ji-hwan showed reluctance.

Documentary A wasn’t a popular program, so its broadcast time was also at an awkward daytime slot.

 

Still, how did this damn thing spread so quickly?

It was his son Lim Do-hyuk’s doing.

That bastard had dared to appear directly in the documentary and give an interview.

 

[Chairman Park Chang-beom – 111 missed calls]

 

“Ha… This is so annoying…!”

 

Chairman Park Chang-beom, who had been calling continuously since the video spread, was also a problem.

There was no particular way to stop the anger of someone who had been a reliable ally until yesterday.

Lim Sang-jin turned off his mobile phone and threw it onto the sofa.

 

“…Representative.”

 

He could see Park Ji-hwan cautiously approaching while watching his mood.

Lim Sang-jin tried to control his anger and opened his mouth.

 

“Contact that producer, PD, whoever. You know several people at the broadcasting station, right? Don’t you have anyone you’ve fed money to in advance?”

“…That’s.”

 

Somehow everything was met with reluctance.

 

…Wait.

Lim Sang-jin looked at Park Ji-hwan, who was kneeling and bowing his head in front of him.

 

He was once the person he trusted most.

Park Ji-hwan, who had established himself at Haeil and had even received his representative lawyer nameplate directly from him.

 

…No way.

The intuition of someone who had rolled around in the legal circle for a long time flashed through his anger.

 

“…Park Ji-hwan, you. Don’t tell me.”

 

Park Ji-hwan bowed his head even deeper.

Lim Sang-jin’s cold gaze settled down on his bowed head, as if he was ashamed.

 

“…Representative.”

 

Park Ji-hwan did not raise his head.

 

No, not once had he made eye contact while visiting me today.

Since he had never properly met my gaze even normally, I hadn’t noticed right away. But no way.

Lim Sang-jin’s brain replayed the documentary video like slow motion.

 

-Yes. I was also confused after being kidnapped. And at that time….

-If it’s difficult, you can take your time speaking.

 

Lim Do-hyuk’s interview video.

Throughout the entire documentary, there were no scenes where Lim Sang-jin’s face was properly filmed.

Even if he appeared, it was only a blurry silhouette while taking off the mask.

 

But his son had admitted to it.

How dare he.

Was what he thought he held in his hands just a handful of sand?

 

-As one of the legal professionals who protect law and justice… I could not tell lies.

-Yes. My father. Lawyer Lim– was there.

 

A storm hit.

Lim Sang-jin’s mind was stained with a tsunami larger than Haeil.

 

He had pressed down on his children for their entire lives so they wouldn’t dare climb up arrogantly.

Even if he raised them as noble children outside, he trampled on them inside.

 

That was education.

He thought that was the only way they would grow up properly.

 

“Hah, hah….”

 

Instead of a hollow laugh, unorganized breath came out panting wildly.

 

That’s right.

The reason Park Ji-hwan was here with his head bowed.

 

Only then did everything begin to make sense.

Things he couldn’t see because anger came first began to become visible.

 

“Park Ji-hwan.”

“Yes.”

 

Lawyer Park Ji-hwan answered with a trembling voice.

 

That was how it was. That….

 

The broadcasting station bastards were obvious.

There were quite a few he had been feeding since he founded Haeil.

 

The broadcasting station director who aired Documentary A also received Korean beef boxes lined with bundles of money from him every holiday.

How much were all the flower wreaths, gift certificates, and entertainment expenses that went out in Haeil’s name.

 

“I’ve been abandoned.”

“….”

 

Lim Sang-jin finally realized.

The reason Park Ji-hwan didn’t do all those things.

 

The reason he didn’t cut Lim Do-hyuk’s interview even though he could have.

The reason he didn’t cut off the Documentary A production team.

 

“Haha, this is really….”

 

There was no golf club. He had already thrown it away long ago.

 

“How many did you send out.”

 

He had resolved not to become like Haeil’s back room old man.

 

He had left when the applause was loud.

It was because his influence continued to reach.

Haeil was his, and afterwards it would be his son’s.

 

So Lim Sang-jin devoted his entire life with the resolve to make Haeil such a great law firm that no one would dare covet it.

 

“…Twelve of them.”

 

Park Ji-hwan, who had worked by his side for a long time, knew well what his words meant.

Lim Sang-jin was the last.

Before him, there were experienced lawyers he had cultivated in Lim Sang-jin’s line.

 

Twelve of them.

All of his people had been cut out.

 

They were the ones he had agonized over keeping until the very last moment.

 

“…You, can Haeil operate without those people?”

 

Lim Sang-jin asked tentatively to the one who had once been his loyal retainer.

Even if it was already decided and finished, he had to ask.

 

“Master.”

 

At the title he hadn’t heard in a long time, Lim Sang-jin’s eyes widened momentarily.

 

I was the one who taught Park Ji-hwan.

Once, he had said he would serve me as his master for life.

 

Park Ji-hwan was probably around the same age as my son.

When he had just finished the bar exam and entered Haeil as a rookie lawyer.

Lim Sang-jin had taken him under his wing.

 

“I will do well.”

 

Park Ji-hwan bowed his head deeply again.

It seemed like a final farewell.

Lim Sang-jin’s lips went completely dry.

 

“Haeil won’t collapse easily.”

“….”

“The Haeil that Master created will simply be reborn anew.”

“Let me ask just one thing.”

 

Lim Sang-jin slowly grasped Park Ji-hwan’s shoulder.

When he had once resolved to raise him as a representative lawyer to pave the way for his son.

The surging emotions he had felt then came rushing back.

 

“Whose will was it?”

 

Lim Sang-jin asked.

 

“…It was Lawyer Lim Do-hyuk.”

 

Park Ji-hwan answered.

 

“…I see.”

 

It seemed a fierce tsunami was about to come.

 

* * *

 

『[Breaking News] Former Haeil Representative voluntarily appears… Reports child abuse within ‘Cardia’ religious order』

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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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