The Lawyer Who Reads Tomorrow - Chapter 69

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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 69

 

 

Of course, I have no real intention of joining hands with this man.

 

“Are you mocking me right now!”

 

A loud shout burst out.

 

Oh dear, I just tried to treat him with some respect since he’s someone chasing past glory.

Lim Sang-jin’s face turned bright red.

He looked as if he’d been drinking in broad daylight.

 

“Lawyer Sung Tae-hyun!”

“Yes, Representative Lim Sang-jin.”

 

Lim Sang-jin pointed at me with his flushed face.

Whether his blood pressure had really risen, the hand pointing at me was trembling.

 

“No matter how much I’ve been pushed out, I’m Haeil’s founder!”

“I know.”

“I’m Lim Do-hyuk’s father!”

“That too. I know well.”

 

The sight of him gasping and catching his breath was quite a spectacle.

I poured water from the teapot beside me and handed it to him.

 

Lim Sang-jin glared at my hand intensely before accepting the water cup.

The old man gulped down the cold water, regulated his breathing about three times, then opened his mouth.

 

“Let me hear what nonsense this is.”

 

He’s halfway convinced.

 

Anyway, Haeil is unstable right now.

All the personnel from Lim Sang-jin’s line who had been controlling Haeil have stepped down, except for Park Ji-hwan.

 

Even if it’s Lim Do-hyuk.

Such revolutionary yet hasty personnel changes must be receiving quite a bit of criticism.

 

“Actually, the current Haeil… you see.”

 

I dragged out my words as if it was embarrassing to speak carelessly.

Lim Sang-jin’s face returned to its usual calm state.

He seemed to have felt some intuition born from experience.

 

“What about Haeil.”

 

Lim Sang-jin’s forehead twitched.

 

The old Lim Sang-jin had a colder and more chilling feeling than now.

I guess no one can win against time.

 

Suddenly, Court Chief Park Gil-young came to mind.

That gentleman had even taken care of my funeral.

 

“Why aren’t you saying anything.”

 

I had unintentionally provoked Lim Sang-jin.

When I didn’t speak easily, he was anxiously smacking his lips.

 

“…I think unprepared revolution is dangerous.”

“…!”

 

Even with just that much said, Lim Sang-jin seemed to understand sufficiently.

He spoke with a shocked expression.

 

“…I thought you were the one pulling Do-hyuk along.”

 

Exactly right, old man.

 

But I didn’t let it out of my mouth.

It’s true that I instigated Lim Do-hyuk, but it was Lim Do-hyuk who executed it.

 

Of course, I had no intention of saying even this.

 

“How could that be.”

“Huh… Then really, Do-hyuk is…”

 

Lim Sang-jin muttered as if talking to himself, then looked at me.

 

“You.”

“Yes.”

“…Weren’t you close with our Do-hyuk?”

 

Let’s see, that look in his eyes could roughly be interpreted as ‘You’re my son’s friend and you’re trying to betray him?’

 

At this age, there are things that can be read without being said.

I nodded with a serious expression.

 

I don’t know whether Sung Tae-hyun and Lim Do-hyuk were close or not.

Judging from Lim Do-hyuk’s reaction a few days ago, they weren’t particularly close.

Rather, it seemed like only on that day did Lim Do-hyuk realize that Sung Tae-hyun wasn’t someone beneath him.

 

“We are close.”

 

Lim Sang-jin’s face became even more strangely distorted.

It was an expression of incomprehension.

Speaking of the current Lim Do-hyuk and me, from Lim Sang-jin’s perspective, we would have appeared close.

 

Lim Do-hyuk setting up his nest next to Ilchul, claiming he would monitor me, probably only looked like a typical case of following a friend to Gangnam to him.

 

“Then why…?”

 

He must be puzzled. I gave him a clear answer to that question.

 

“Because I still love Haeil.”

“…!”

 

Of course, he’s not the type to be fooled by such words.

Nevertheless, Lim Sang-jin seemed quite moved by the sudden confession that flowed out.

 

“…Did you say Haeil was your first law firm?”

“Yes.”

 

Lim Sang-jin’s eyes changed slightly.

At first glance, one might mistake it for becoming softer, but I saw countless forms of calculation going back and forth within them.

 

That man is now busily pounding away at his calculator.

Even though he said he set it aside temporarily for his son, human nature doesn’t disappear so easily.

 

“For your class… Park Ji-hwan must have personally selected you.”

 

I don’t know. Still, I nodded my head.

 

“…I see. I did hear there were some smart ones in your class.”

 

Has he almost fallen for it?

As if my prediction was correct, Lim Sang-jin’s eyes flashed.

 

“Tell me.”

“…”

“We’re not close enough to exchange greetings. You said you had something you wanted from me.”

“Yes.”

 

Lim Sang-jin slowly sat down on the sofa across from me.

It was a completely different posture from sitting in the high chair behind his desk, looking down at me condescendingly until now.

 

It seems he’s ready for negotiation.

I smiled as kindly as possible.

 

“There are several senior lawyers I’ve respected for a long time.”

 

I showed Lim Sang-jin photos I had taken with the lawyers who had been on his line.

 

“…!”

“They are wonderful people who are indispensable to the future of the legal circle.”

 

Lim Sang-jin’s gaze pierced through me.

 

“What’s your reason for showing me this?”

“I think it would be too much of a waste for those who were at Haeil to retire like this.”

“…”

“But these days, this field also has employment difficulties…”

 

That was right.

 

The careers they had built were quite good, but there was nowhere to accept all those who had just left Haeil.

After Lim Do-hyuk drove them out, they too must have been worried about their future.

 

Corporate consulting or starting completely new businesses wouldn’t be bad either, but given their age, they all preferred the safer side.

 

“Just what are you…”

 

Lim Sang-jin’s face turned pale.

I went one step further and handed him a contract I had prepared in advance.

 

It was a lawyer contract for .

 

“Of course, it’s not work that requires being active in the field.”

“…”

“It’s just an affiliated lawyer contract, and you only need to come when you want to.”

 

It felt as if the float on my fishing line was trembling.

Not expecting me to come out like this, Lim Sang-jin looked very confused.

 

“I think Lawyer Lim Sang-jin and the other’s abilities are too precious to waste.”

“…Insolent…”

“I also think they are people who must be there for the future of the legal circle to be bright.”

 

Of course, it’s a lie.

What I wanted was something else.

 

“…Information?”

 

Finally, as if he had noticed something, Lim Sang-jin’s lips opened.

 

“The information we have. Information learned at Haeil, connections, yes… someone might call it an inheritance.”

 

Typical.

I expected him to think a little deeper…

Lim Sang-jin reacted exactly as I had aimed for.

 

“…Things won’t go as you want.”

“Are you refusing?”

 

Lim Sang-jin stared at the contract I had handed him for quite a while.

It wasn’t a proper contract. I don’t have that authority.

 

This is… yes, so to speak, a fishing line.

The fishing line I cast for my true purpose.

 

“….”

 

Silence flowed.

No more steam rose from the already cold tea cup.

 

Seeing Lim Sang-jin agonize this much, my intuition wasn’t wrong.

He still had lingering attachments.

 

Attachments as deep as the years he’d lived as Haeil’s Back Room Old Man.

 

“…I’ll hold off.”

 

Finally, Lim Sang-jin gave his answer.

 

“I can’t wait long for you.”

 

I downed the cold tea in one gulp.

Lim Sang-jin’s wavering eyes didn’t leave me until I left that house.

 

* * *

 

There are several reasons why I pulled this stunt.

First, the biggest reason is-

 

“…Sung Tae-hyun.”

 

Wounded eyes turned toward me.

 

Wait, wounded? Lim Do-hyuk?

 

Lim Do-hyuk stood in front of the office, soaked like a drowned rat from the falling rain.

It was already late.

 

Noh Hae-min and Assistant Manager Yoon Ha-young had left work long ago.

I had only stopped by the office briefly for something I’d left behind.

 

“Senior.”

 

The building shrouded in darkness was stuffy with the moldy smell of rain.

I looked at him while shaking off my umbrella.

 

Lim Do-hyuk was crouched in front of the dark office, waiting for someone.

 

“Did your house get robbed?”

 

It was a question asking why he wasn’t going into his perfectly fine house right in front of him.

Lim Do-hyuk shook his rain-soaked hair and laughed helplessly.

His face looked quite gaunt from the few days I hadn’t seen him.

 

‘The prince’s rebellion must have been quite rough.’

 

I opened the office door.

Lim Do-hyuk followed behind me like a puppy.

Just as he seemed about to sit on the sofa, he grabbed my shoulder instead.

 

“That day, were you disappointed in me?”

“What day?”

 

A look of disappointment flashed in Lim Do-hyuk’s eyes.

What is he talking about.

When I looked at him puzzledly, Lim Do-hyuk wiped his wet face several times with his hand.

 

“…The day Father came. When I grabbed you….”

 

Ah.

Lim Do-hyuk’s gaze was directed at my neck.

 

That day.

I was somewhat worried about Sung Tae-hyun’s body having a trauma-induced seizure, but it was fine.

 

In this line of work, getting grabbed by the collar happens a few times in a lifetime.

It’s the same for everyone.

 

“No.”

“…Then why.”

 

Lim Do-hyuk let out a trembling breath.

 

“I heard you went to see Father. And the others too.”

 

Lim Sang-jin told him.

 

Lim Do-hyuk is gauging.

Whether I betrayed him.

 

It was an interesting situation.

He must be confused.

Lim Do-hyuk is still just a young guy, no different from Sung Tae-hyun.

 

It was easy to see that Lim Do-hyuk was shaken.

 

“Why….”

“Senior.”

 

I slowly opened my mouth.

Lim Do-hyuk flinched as if he was about to learn some most fearful truth.

It was quite a different reaction compared to his previous behavior.

 

“I’m not interested in your father, senior.”

“…!”

 

Lim Do-hyuk’s eyes shook greatly.

 

“Then why….”

 

There was another reason why I went to find Lim Sang-jin and provoked him by shoving a contract at him.

Lim Sang-jin knows that I have no interest in him.

So he would have easily told his son about the fact that I came to see him.

 

Of course, even so, I didn’t expect Lim Do-hyuk to be emotionally shaken to this extent.

 

“I’m also not interested in the other lawyers who were kicked out of Haeil.”

 

This is only half true.

Because someday I’ll crush them to the ground along with Cheondong.

 

“….”

“Do you think they would easily hand over information to me?”

 

That’s nonsense.

Even if new grudges were formed from this incident, they are people who have been rolling around in this field for quite a long time.

 

But they would hand over their legacy so easily to an outsider like Sung Tae-hyun?

Lim Do-hyuk bit his lips as if confused.

 

“And your father too.”

 

When I deliberately mentioned Lim Sang-jin, Lim Do-hyuk’s eyes widened greatly.

 

“What did you want, Sung Tae-hyun.”

 

He was now standing straight and looking at me.

The eyes that had been darkly sunken until just a moment ago were now directly facing me.

 

“Was it something I couldn’t give you?”

 

Such an emotional reaction.

At first he saw Sung Tae-hyun as a chess piece under his feet, but now it means that’s not the case?

 

“The day you brought Lim Do-i’s case.”

 

When I opened my mouth, his body flinched and trembled.

 

“Senior, you knew, didn’t you.”

“….”

“That Sung Tae- I. Have trauma.”

 

I had no intention of cornering Lim Do-hyuk.

However, the fear that appeared on that haggard face was exactly the answer to my question.

 

“…Sung Tae-hyun, that. I can explain everything-“

“The relationship between my mother and me, and the trauma I have. You know everything, don’t you, senior?”

 

If there hadn’t been a story in Sung Tae-hyun’s diary about having a seizure after seeing a child abuse case handled by another team.

 

I wouldn’t have known.

But there’s no way Lim Do-hyuk, who was the immediate senior at Haeil, wouldn’t have known about Sung Tae-hyun’s condition when he had a seizure at the company.

 

So, in the end, bringing Lim Do-i’s case to me was.

 

“I’ll forgive you.”

“…What?”

 

Sung Tae-hyun’s heart didn’t react.

 

“For pretending not to know and bringing me Park Noah’s case.”

 

Even if he didn’t know that child abuse was happening.

There’s no way he didn’t know that getting involved in such a case itself would be dangerous for Sung Tae-hyun.

 

So in the end, Lim Do-hyuk was curious about whether ‘Sung Tae-hyun’s memories’ had returned.

Moreover.

 

‘Lim Do-hyuk doesn’t even properly understand his own emotions.’

 

Of course, I had no intention of easily telling him that.

 

“And did you really think your father would come over to me?”

 

He kept his mouth tightly shut.

Even though he came here emotionally agitated, it seems this was a part he hadn’t thought about.

 

“Lawyer Lim Sang-jin isn’t that kind of person.”

“….”

“Rather, he’s the type who would wait for an opportunity to put a leash on me and hand me over to you.”

 

Lim Do-hyuk’s eyes widened greatly.

 

“You….”

“Unfortunately, that’s not what I wanted.”

 

Lim Do-hyuk bit his lips repeatedly.

 

“Then what is it.”

 

He roughly grabbed my shoulder as if it would break.

Oh no, is his ‘old’ nature coming out again?

However, he seemed to be aware of it and removed his hand again.

 

He looked confused.

Both about the situation and his changed feelings toward Sung Tae-hyun.

 

“Senior.”

 

I slowly opened my mouth for his sake.

 

There were several reasons why I pulled off this stunt.

 

One was to drive out Lim Sang-jin’s people who had been controlling Haeil from the firm.

So that Cheondong, who had been relying solely on them, would panic and falter even a little.

 

To bring down a solid fortress, you must first attack its pillars.

And.

 

“Do you know Chief Prosecutor Choi Yoon-ki?”

 

Lim Do-hyuk’s eyes widened.

Lim Do-hyuk was still a greenhorn, and his ability to assess situations wasn’t as outstanding as his father’s.

 

In other words, he was closer to being a sleeping dragon.

 

However.

 

“I want him.”

 

Choi Yoon-ki is a man who can’t tolerate even the smallest scratch on what’s his.

So he’ll come looking for me, the one who’s been trampling all over his front yard.

 

Without fail.

 

“Choi Yoon-ki.”

 

That was my objective.

—————
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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