The Lawyer Who Reads Tomorrow - Chapter 68

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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 68

 

 

The news is quite entertaining to watch these days.

I was leaning against the expensive sofa in our office, chewing on an apple that Noh Hae-min had carved into a rabbit shape.

 

-Former Haeil lawyer Lim Sang-jin has filed charges against cult leader Kim Yo-han for violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes in connection with the so-called ‘Cardia’ religious order.

 

-He completely denied the allegations of aiding and abetting child abuse raised in a recent documentary.

 

-Instead, he exposed the systematic child abuse that occurred within the religious order and urged an investigation.

 

To think he would make such a choice in the end. I guess a father is still a father.

I don’t know how Lim Sang-jin reacted to Lim Do-hyuk’s betrayal.

But he made a new choice.

 

“I never thought he would come forward and give testimony himself.”

 

Anyway, in that prison-like center of the religious order, that Radiance Corps where they abused The Child, they were all wearing masks.

There was CCTV, but if Lim Sang-jin had been very careful, it would be difficult to find evidence.

An alliance formed by giving away his daughter breaks so easily.

 

It was completely different from how he had warned me to be careful of people just a few days ago.

 

-I never dreamed that even my grandson would suffer like that.

 

Lim Sang-jin stood before the camera with a gaunt face.

Cunning old foxes like him were skilled at acting in front of cameras too.

To think he would choose to side with his son after being kicked out of Haeil.

 

Well, the timing just moved up a bit.

It was bound to happen anyway.

 

“Come to think of it, I don’t see Lawyer Lim Do-hyuk today?”

 

Noh Hae-min said while carving another apple.

Perhaps because his fingertips were so deft, the rabbit carving made from the apple was becoming increasingly elaborate.

The rabbit carving he created today even had one front paw extended.

 

“He must be busy.”

 

When I answered indifferently, Noh Hae-min’s expression turned gloomy.

 

Did he grow attached in that short time?

All Lim Do-hyuk did was buy beef a few times.

 

Human hearts are so fickle and petty.

 

“Aren’t you worried about him, Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun?”

“You worry too much, senior.”

 

I picked up the rabbit-carved apple and bit into it.

The sweet juice flowing out showed that this apple was quite delicious too.

 

Even after Jung Seung-jun’s case was concluded a few months ago, his grandfather seemed to often stop by the office to leave apples.

Every time, only the largest and most delicious fruits from the fruit store piled up in the office.

 

“Still… I feel bad for Lawyer Lim Do-hyuk. Setting aside Do-i sister and Noah, he’s really become someone with no connections left at Haeil now.”

“…Do-i sister?”

 

At my questioning look about when they became so close, Noh Hae-min awkwardly shook his head.

 

Look at this?

And someone with no connections left?

Does he not know who really has no connections left?

 

I kept putting the rabbit carvings in my mouth as fast as he made them.

Noh Hae-min continued peeling apples without showing any sign of displeasure.

He just selected the five prettiest pieces and handed them over to Assistant Manager Yoon Ha-young.

 

“The one whose connections are cut off is Lim Sang-jin.”

“Huh?”

“When did you become so close with Ms. Lim Do-i?”

 

When I pointed it out specifically, Noh Hae-min’s face softened gently.

 

“Ah, recently. She came by even when you weren’t here, Lawyer Sung.”

 

I didn’t know that.

When I looked at Assistant Manager Yoon Ha-young, she also shook her head as if she didn’t know.

 

Was it when Noh Hae-min was alone watching the office?

She’s not someone who would come without notice.

 

“She just stopped by briefly. To say thank you.”

“Ah.”

“Noah seems to have stabilized a bit. Well, the investigation will still need some time to conclude.”

 

That’s probably true.

Trials take quite a long time.

 

If it goes all the way to the third trial, several years will pass by.

Still, I wasn’t particularly worried.

 

Lim Do-hyuk decided to handle Lim Do-i’s case directly now.

The reason was that he no longer needed to worry about his father’s opinion.

 

“Park Mu-hyun was arrested, and so was Kim Yo-han.”

 

Right. Park Mu-hyun and Kim Yo-han were arrested.

 

The evidence I had handed over was more than enough.

In addition to the kidnapping and confinement against me, there was even evidence of the ongoing abuse against Park Noah.

Lim Sang-jin had even personally handed over information secretly taken from the Religious Order to the police.

 

Though the Religious Order belatedly tried to destroy CCTV footage and such.

 

“The evidence tampering charges hit them pretty hard…”

 

Noh Hae-min said wistfully.

 

Since it involved not only Park Noah but other children as well, the investigation seemed to have grown quite large.

Though he said it would be difficult to proceed with investigations into other VVIPs – that is, others who participated in abusing the children – since there was no evidence against them.

 

Still, investigations into celebrities within the Religious Order, including Park Mu-hyun and Kim Yo-han, were proceeding quite rapidly.

 

“But really, why did Representative Lim Sang-jin, no. Why did Mr. Lim Sang-jin do that?”

“Do what?”

“…I mean betraying the Religious Order and handing over evidence. He had even formed an in-law relationship with the famous Chairman Park from there. But at this timing…?”

 

Ah. That would be curious indeed.

Still, I thought I understood.

Unlike Lim Sang-jin’s previous behavior, he had stabbed in the back someone he had shaken hands with.

 

“He’s gone senile.”

“…Whaaaat? Really?”

 

Noh Hae-min blinked in surprise at my words. His hands had stopped slicing apples at some point.

 

“No, don’t joke around. I’m really serious, Tae-hyun. Think about it, that old man was also a Religious Order VVIP? Guest? Something like that. Even in the documentary-“

“He actually used that to his advantage.”

 

A cunning snake like Lim Sang-jin, who had been rolling around for so many years, looks down at how the world turns from high above.

 

After Lim Do-hyuk appeared in the Cardia exposé documentary, starting with my instigation.

Despite massive personnel changes somehow taking place, things had been quiet.

Even though Lim Sang-jin’s people had mysteriously disappeared from Haeil.

 

“He must have weighed his options. Haeil that he built, his son, and his business partner.”

“Hmm… I don’t quite understand.”

“Since he was already pushed out of Haeil anyway, there was no need to look good to his business partner.”

“…”

“And.”

 

In any case, he must have chosen Lim Do-hyuk.

 

“There’s probably also the reason that he chose to strike first before more could be exposed.”

“Ah…”

 

It would mean he was finding his own way to survive.

Seeing that Park Ji-hwan remained despite the personnel changes, it didn’t seem like Lim Do-hyuk had completely abandoned his father either.

 

“Lawyer Lim Do-hyuk must be busy too…”

“He would be. To handle the aftermath.”

 

What would become of Lim Do-hyuk’s Haeil?

It certainly wouldn’t be smooth sailing.

 

* * *

 

And.

 

[???????]

 

I discovered an interesting fact.

 

[■■■ ■■■■■■]

 

“Hmm.”

 

The diary had broken down.

No, rather than broken down, it couldn’t properly predict ‘tomorrow’s events.’

I thought about why that might be.

 

[???going to find?]

 

Sung Tae-hyun’s Diary continued to output several errors.

The sentence it finally managed to output was as follows.

 

[;why?looking for?Lim Sang?jin?]

 

Haha.

Sung Tae-hyun’s Diary thinks from Sung Tae-hyun’s perspective.

So when deriving ‘tomorrow’s events,’ it seemed to mainly consider things that he would likely do.

While external events outside his domain were somewhat predictable.

 

[???doesn’t make?sense?]

 

Should I say that if the actions I was trying to take didn’t make sense from his perspective, it couldn’t make proper predictions?

 

“Not omnipotent after all.”

 

I closed the diary.

There had been errors a few times before, but not to this extent.

 

It seemed that when I, as ‘Kim Wook-han,’ acted beyond his common sense, it had difficulty drawing conclusions.

 

Since the errors that started yesterday had continued until now.

I would have to wait and see whether this hypothesis was correct.

 

“It seems like you can’t stop it anymore.”

 

That time, when Lim Do-i came to find me, you tried to interfere even to the point of injuring her hand.

You looked quite desperate that day. The diary moved as if it was going out of control for the first time ever.

 

“Is it because of your trauma?”

 

Of course, there was no answer.

I had no intention of talking to it anymore either.

Because I was now in front of the house of a cunning old fox that I really shouldn’t underestimate.

 

“…!”

 

Lim Sang-jin’s eyes widened greatly.

 

* * *

 

Lim Do-hyuk’s father and former representative of Haeil.

Now even playing the role of an internal whistleblower for the Cardia Cult.

The old man wearing multiple masks opened his mouth wide in surprise.

 

“You, you…!”

 

How shocked he must be.

He was pointing his finger at me, forgetting to maintain his dignity.

 

Lim Sang-jin’s house.

Even after being pushed out as Haeil’s back room old man, his office that he used to visit once or twice a month no longer exists.

 

Because his room at Haeil had been cleanly erased.

 

‘Lim Do-hyuk is quite something.’

 

Though he had been played by me a few times, he wasn’t entirely pushover, befitting Lim Sang-jin’s son.

 

“Why have you come all the way here…!”

 

Lim Sang-jin cleared his throat, composing his voice.

It must be quite flustering for him.

 

I was the one who arranged for the documentary to be produced.

I was also the one who pushed Lim Do-hyuk’s back to make him betray his own father.

 

And.

Like the cunning old fox who had rolled around in the legal world for decades, Lim Sang-jin seemed to already roughly know the whole story.

 

“Have you been well all this time?”

 

Even though it was an ordinary greeting, Lim Sang-jin grabbed the back of his neck.

Remarkably, he didn’t kick me out.

 

This was my first time at the former Haeil representative’s house.

I had never even thought to find out his address before.

 

My impression of visiting would be that it’s tremendously large.

A neighborhood in Seoul filled with wealthy houses that exude a sense of long history.

 

‘He certainly made a lot of money.’

 

As I crossed over the high wall, the scent of capital that couldn’t be hidden even by time wafted strongly.

The wooden interior, though probably decades old, wasn’t faded at all but rather possessed an elegant atmosphere.

 

“Well? Well?! Is this what Attorney Sung Tae-hyun should be saying right now?”

 

His voice was loud.

Still, he seemed to have regained quite a bit of his composure.

 

I bowed my head toward Lim Sang-jin and entered the study room where he was sitting.

As is typical with this type of interior, I expected there to be quite a few flower pots. How unexpected.

 

Inside the room was neat.

Just one desk and one chair, a large bookshelf, a sofa, and a table. How modest of him.

 

“Of course. How much have I respected Attorney Lim Sang-jin all this time.”

 

As I babbled whatever came to mind, Lim Sang-jin’s lips pressed tightly together.

He seemed to have no idea what scheme I had come here with.

 

“Respect? Hah….”

 

He clicked his tongue as if he found it absurd.

Someone silently entered, placed a tea cup, and disappeared.

 

Does this mean he’ll at least treat me as a guest?

 

“Drink that and get the hell out.”

 

Ah. I sat down on the sofa.

The feeling against my bottom was quite good, comparable to our office sofa.

Since everything was high-quality furniture, even a single cup of tea served without refreshments seemed to maintain formality and courtesy.

 

In the end, even if he finds me detestable, he still sees me as his son’s friend.

 

“It tastes good.”

 

Of course, I didn’t come here just to drink tea. But I was sincere.

The aroma was deeper and smoother than the chamomile tea we had at the office.

 

Lim Sang-jin’s eyebrows twitched.

 

“You didn’t come here just to chat with me.”

 

His snake-like eyes gleamed as they pierced through me.

 

What an impatient old man, unwilling to waste even the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

I deliberately savored the aroma slowly as I sipped.

 

I was no expert when it came to tea and had no special knowledge, but I could tell it was expensive.

 

“Haha, you flatter me.”

 

When I spoke casually as if I had just come to drink tea, Lim Sang-jin’s hands trembled.

It would be troublesome if he collapsed like that.

I set down my tea cup.

 

“Actually, I have a favor to ask, so I swallowed my shame and came to see you.”

 

When I looked at him as if I had something important to say, Lim Sang-jin’s eyes changed completely.

 

He looked like he was fidgeting with curiosity.

After all, I was his son’s friend who had witnessed him beating his son, and the one who had pushed him out of Haeil.

 

Lim Sang-jin remained silent for a moment as if thinking about something.

I took another sip of tea.

 

“…What.”

“Are you curious?”

 

His expression became deeply furrowed.

 

“…Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun.”

“Yes.”

 

Lim Sang-jin had finished his calculations.

 

“Even though I may have truly become a back room old man.”

“That can’t be.”

“Must I point out the attitude of someone who came to ask for a favor?”

 

As expected, even though Lim Sang-jin had been pushed out of Haeil, he was incomparable to Lim Do-hyuk.

I smiled gently and opened my mouth toward him.

 

“Representative.”

“…If you’re going to say something useless, right now-“

“How about a new beginning?”

“…What?”

 

Lim Sang-jin’s eyes flashed with bewilderment.

I didn’t miss the opportunity and continued speaking.

 

“Join hands with me.”

“…!”

“I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of.”

—————
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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