The Lawyer Who Reads Tomorrow - Chapter 95

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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 95

 

 

“AI Startup CEO Gets Prison Sentence… Cheondong Future’s Credibility ‘Crumbles'”

“Called a Tech Genius… But No Character? Criminal Hiding Behind AI Technology”

“Cheondong Holdings ‘Regrets This Incident’… Strengthens Subsidiary Risk Management Guidelines”

 

As soon as the sentencing ended, articles poured out like a flood of updates.

The Bae In-jun case was quite unusual, and the fact that the M&A partner was Cheondong Future was also why reporters flocked to it.

 

“The news is already out?”

 

After breaking through the wave of reporters and arriving at the office, it was already late afternoon.

Noh Hae-min stretched and continued speaking.

 

Come to think of it, I should send the results to Ho-shin Senior.

I was searching for articles that were continuously being posted about this trial and sending links to my senior when I froze.

 

“…What is this.”

 

“[Exclusive] The Truth Everyone Turned Away From… One Lawyer Who Pursued Bae In-jun”

 

“Why?”

 

Noh Hae-min tilted his head and approached.

I quickly folded my mobile phone and blinked as if nothing was wrong.

 

Did I see it wrong?

The truth everyone turned away from?

Pursued Bae In-jun?

 

No way. It couldn’t be me.

I didn’t exactly pursue Bae In-jun, I protected the victim.

 

It hasn’t even been that long since the sentencing ended, right?

I felt like cold sweat was forming on the back of my neck.

 

“…Sung Tae-hyun?”

 

Noh Hae-min looked at me even more suspiciously and came closer.

 

“The office seems a bit hot.”

 

I jumped up from my seat and approached the window.

 

It would seem strange, right?

It must look odd.

 

Because in my life, I had rarely been as flustered as I was now.

When I threw open the window, cold wind came rushing in.

 

“Your ears are red. Lawyer Sung, are you really okay?”

 

Noh Hae-min asked persistently.

Even Manager Yoon Ha-young’s gaze was gathering on me.

 

Unbelievably, I fled and hid in the bathroom.

And I clicked on the article title that had made me doubt my eyes just moments before.

 

[Jungseo Daily Lee Na-yoon]

 

A sigh escaped me.

 

I thought it was strangely quiet.

When on earth did she go find the victim and even get an interview?

 

Moreover, in this case, for victim Kim Su-yeon’s mental health, we had been restraining any mention of the victim no matter which reporter we met.

 

But she still went ahead and did an interview.

Did she fall for Lee Na-yoon’s sweet talk?

 

 

 

“…”

 

I was speechless.

The ‘article’ that followed was an unbelievably glorified account of my actions.

 

Was that all?

Thanks to my law firm and name being openly listed, the comments were also chaotic…

 

No, let’s not look.

My face felt hot.

 

[Reporter Lee Na-yoon]

 

Despite the ringtone going several times, Lee Na-yoon didn’t answer the phone.

Just when my patience was reaching its limit, only one message arrived from Lee Na-yoon.

 

[Free marketing, no need for thanks^^]

 

I folded my mobile phone.

It’s Lee Na-yoon anyway.

She was like… an uncontrollable wild horse.

 

I didn’t contact the victim.

Come to think of it, Kim Su-yeon said she did marketing at Bylonics.

 

I don’t know if she knew about Lee Na-yoon’s existence from the beginning, but it seemed their needs aligned perfectly.

Judging by how she mentioned my name several times in the interview even after generously depositing the success fee.

 

“Oh~ so that’s what it was?”

 

As soon as I returned to the office, Noh Hae-min approached me.

 

I knew this would happen.

He must have already checked ‘that article’.

 

That should now be designated as one of the three articles that must never be mentioned at Ilchul again and subjected to digital execution.

While I’m grateful for the client’s sentiment, it wasn’t some heroic saga and the exaggeration and praise were too excessive.

 

“Huh? Lawyer Sung, your neck is all red right now? Wow, my goodness. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

 

Noh Hae-min stuck close to me and started shoving the article he clicked on his mobile phone right in front of my eyes.

Manager Yoon Ha-young’s calm voice followed.

 

“I’ve specially scrapped this work achievement and posted it on the main page of our homepage.”

 

Even I was surprised and froze at those words.

What? You did what, how?

 

“You instructed this before, Lawyer.”

 

Had I ever seen Manager Yoon Ha-young look this happy?

 

The corners of her mouth were slightly raised.

Her undisguised joy was showing.

 

Fine, do whatever you want.

It’s not like there are only one or two things in this world I can’t control.

 

“I heard you said that to our homepage administrator when we opened the Ilchul homepage.”

 

…Administrator? 404?

 

“Highlight the cases we handled, but rather than us bragging about it ourselves, manage the achievements with a feeling that outsiders praised us like this and that. That’s how I received the message.”

 

Ah.

Only then did I burst into a hollow laugh.

 

In the end, it was karma.

 

* * *

 

[404]: Link

[404]: Hahahahaha gift

 

404’s rampage wasn’t just a day or two thing.

 

A few days after Bae In-jun’s sentencing day passed.

The office quickly regained stability.

 

Ho-shin Senior, who left saying he’d be away for a month, was also happy about this achievement and gave us an extra bonus.

 

[Saw the article well.]

 

Ho-shin Senior’s comment about ‘that article’ was also the most clean-cut.

The problem was this guy.

404.

 

[404]: Hahaha why are you ignoring me again

[404]: Lawyer Sung? Please answer? Hello? Are you there?

 

Unable to help it with the rampaging continuous chat, I answered.

 

[ME]: What?

[404]: Hahahahahahaha

[404]: Hahahahahahaha link

 

“What is he so obsessed with that link for?”

 

The link 404 sent was Law Firm Ilchul’s homepage.

There’s nothing particularly amazing about it, so what-

 

[404]: Hahahaha did you check it out?

 

I blinked again.

When I placed the homepage design order with 404, I had said that.

 

Luxurious and clean

A design that shouldn’t look empty, moderately full feeling while not being cluttered at the same time.

It was definitely a homepage that opened with a proper design.

 

[ME]: ….

 

I was speechless for a moment looking at the homepage as if a bomb had exploded.

It was bewildering that neither Manager Yoon Ha-young nor Lawyer Noh Hae-min said anything about it.

 

[404]: lol confirmed?

[404]: Do you like it?

 

This must be a dream.

Otherwise, there’s no way my upper body photo would be plastered all over the homepage to that extent.

 

[404]: Look look Sung Tae-hyun Lawyer I’m in passion mode ON right now

 

What the hell is passion mode supposed to mean?

But before I could even respond, 404’s chat messages came flooding up and filled the screen.

 

[404]: Hahaha after that last article came out, our website traffic spiked dramatically, you know?

[404]: So the adorable administrator, yours truly, did some analysis

[404]: Results? Of course they’re good. But I came to realize something. Ilchul’s identity isn’t some achievement that other law firms all have too

 

The fact that his words were getting longer and longer made me somehow uneasy.

I had to squint my eyes to avoid making eye contact with a photo of my upper body that I couldn’t even tell when it had been taken.

 

[ME]: What are you trying to say?

[ME]: Get to the point.

 

404, even more excited by my words, continued.

 

[404]: Face

[404]: It’s the face. Ilchul’s identity is the face

 

“What kind of nonsense are you-“

 

[404]: You just said ‘What kind of nonsense are you’ right now, didn’t you?

 

Is he a ghost?

No, was there a wiretapping device installed in the office?

I pulled out the RF detector I had received from 404 before.

 

[404]: Now I think I’m starting to understand the person called Sung Tae-hyun…

[ME]: Just give me the conclusion simply. What is it?

[404]: Hahahahahahaha

 

404 suddenly sent a file.

Anyway, this guy was someone I had raised by feeding him coins, so he wouldn’t do something like betray his master and plant malicious code.

The coins, more than our time together, had forcibly built trust.

 

When I opened the file, neatly organized report materials filled the screen.

If it weren’t for the content, it was a report that anyone would think was well-made.

 

[404]: Homepage redesign proposal~!~!~!

[404]: Away with homepages like everyone else’s! Throw away the bragging about achievements that every Tom, Dick, and Harry does and go with faces-

 

So, 404’s argument was basically this:

 

Place photos of Noh Hae-min and me throughout the homepage to increase traffic, and manage it through regular updates.

Something like that nonsensical idea written out at length and carefully made into a report.

 

[ME]: Rejected

[404]: Ah why this really makes sense really it already jumped 100 times higher than last week’s traffic rate you know?

[404]: This is an impossible number, you know? 100 times, 100 times

[404]: Can’t you sell your face for Ilchul?

[404]: Was Attorney Sung’s passion only that much?

 

I can’t sell it.

It wasn’t even my face to begin with.

 

[ME]: Restore it to original state by tomorrow and just add achievement materials

[404]: Ah why ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

[404]: The consul worked so hard for this and there’s nothing to show for it

 

…Ah, so the administrator also wanted a bonus. That’s the kind of tantrum he was throwing.

The scale was just different.

 

I closed the homepage.

It was because it was too hard to look at anymore.

 

Instead, I offered 404 an additional deal.

 

[ME]: Fine, I’ll give you a bonus

[404]: Ohhhhhh nooooo thank you

[404]: I will serve with loyalty

[ME]: But if this kind of thing happens one more time, then no bonu-

[404]: Wait but I can keep putting in face photos right? I admit this time was excessive! I admit it! But this is also a kind of marketing for real

 

In the end, I couldn’t overcome 404’s stubbornness.

 

[ME]: I’ll only allow article scraps

 

So let’s stop decorating the homepage main page so colorfully anymore.

 

* * *

 

It was quiet for several months.

 

The media that had been making a fuss about the Cheondong Future and Bae In-jun case also quickly quieted down.

The same went for Choi Yoon-ki, who had been sending peaches and making petty warnings.

 

“…Must be busy cleaning up the mess.”

“What is?”

 

Noh Hae-min, who was picking up his coat, reacted quickly.

The silence had been long after all.

Thanks to Manager Yoon Ha-young leaving work early saying she had business, there were only Noh Hae-min and me in the office.

 

“Well…”

“Sung Tae-hyun, that’s your problem.”

“What is?”

“You never tell me about the things I’m curious about.”

 

Ah. So in the end, he’s bored, right?

 

The fee we received from the Bae In-jun case was quite substantial.

Thanks to the promotional interview that Lee Na-yoon and Kim Su-yeon created together, small jobs kept coming in without interruption.

Ho-shin Senior also seemed to be relying on just that, appearing sporadically at the office while going on about his damn family affairs.

 

‘Well, that guy never had any material desires anyway.’

 

No material desires, no ambitions either.

Besides, even when he showed up at the office lately, he had a rather dark expression.

 

Well, I had satisfactorily accomplished making an impression on Cheondong’s side, so I had achieved my intended purpose.

It was when I was just getting up to leave work.

 

“Huh?”

 

Noh Hae-min, who had been preparing to leave the office with me, suddenly slumped back into his seat.

 

“What’s wrong?”

“….”

 

He had a completely dazed expression.

 

“Senior.”

 

When I approached his seat and touched his shoulder, startled eyes met mine.

 

Noh Hae-min had an expression I’d never seen before.

A look of not knowing what to do.

 

In other words, he looked lost.

 

“What happened?”

 

The mobile phone in his hand only showed a black screen.

What on earth had he been looking at?

 

Noh Hae-min, who had been opening and closing his mouth as if searching for words to answer, finally spoke in a sunken voice.

 

“Father is….”

“Yes.”

“He….”

 

Something happened at home.

 

I could tell without hearing more.

No wonder he was as dazed as that.

 

I picked up Noh Hae-min’s coat that was draped over the chair, roughly placed it on his shoulders, and grabbed his arm.

 

“Let’s talk while we head out.”

“Seong… byeon.”

“Put it on.”

 

Noh Hae-min, who had turned pale white, finally broke the thin silence.

 

“…Father collapsed.”

 

I had guessed it would be something like that.

I steadied Noh Hae-min, who couldn’t even stand properly and was staggering, and helped him put on the rest of his coat.

—————
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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