The Lawyer Who Reads Tomorrow - Chapter 99

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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 99

 

 

Law Firm Ilchul.

I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before.

Lee Jin-seop recalled the man in a suit who had just finished making his payment and left.

 

“A lawyer…?”

 

It was truly a familiar face.

 

Had he appeared on TV before?

 

These premium line furniture pieces cost several million won even for a single storage cabinet.

They weren’t intended for mass distribution in the first place.

 

However, that lawyer completed the payment without even changing his expression.

While contemplating whether to buy other products before turning to leave, he even handed over his business card.

 

“Sung Tae-hyun…?”

 

The man who naturally received the business card asked for delivery as soon as possible and left the exhibition hall.

 

Why did this feel so unsettling?

Lee Jin-seop thought of his boss who said he absolutely couldn’t face customers with a smiling face today, the first day of the special exhibition.

 

They were in the same boat anyway.

Yoon Sang-do, who heard about Roh Tae-sung’s news through the grapevine early this morning, pleaded in a dying voice, claiming pangs of conscience.

 

“…I’ll just rest today. I’ll come tomorrow, so please suffer through just today for me, Jin-seop.”

 

Lee Jin-seop picked up his mobile phone, forgetting even to eat lunch.

He had particularly good instincts about unsettling matters like this.

 

“Sung Tae-hyun…?”

 

As written on the customer card, he seemed to be a lawyer indeed.

As soon as he entered Sung Tae-hyun’s name in the search bar, a profile photo appeared.

 

…The face matched too.

With such a handsome face, I thought he’d be in a different profession rather than being a lawyer.

 

“…Lawyer affiliated with Law Firm Ilchul.”

 

The profile also showed Law Firm Ilchul’s homepage linked through a URL.

Lee Jin-seop bit into the sandwich handed to him by another employee who had just arrived at work and clicked on the homepage link.

 

“…!”

 

It was at that very moment that he froze, unable to even swallow the sandwich he had bitten into.

 

Law Firm Ilchul, and three lawyers displayed in the background of the homepage.

One of them was Sung Tae-hyun, who had just visited the exhibition hall.

Another appeared to be an older person.

And the last person was…

 

“…So it’s come to this after all.”

 

Noh Hae-min.

The son of Wooa Furniture’s Representative Roh Tae-sung.

 

Right, that’s how it was. Why had I forgotten that?

The son that Representative Roh Tae-sung cherished so much, even while calling him a troublemaker.

 

I had heard the news that he became a lawyer.

 

“I didn’t expect them to move this quickly.”

 

Did I misjudge Roh Tae-sung?

 

He was famous for being kind and considerate both inside and outside.

There were even evaluations that he lacked the charisma to lead a company like Wooa Furniture.

 

Well, that’s what public opinion said.

Both Yoon Sang-do and Lee Jin-seop thought that Roh Tae-sung would just be stuck in shock without taking any measures.

So even if he came to his senses and showed movement, it would be much later.

 

Lee Jin-seop stuffed the sandwich into his mouth and chewed and swallowed it roughly.

Movement from Wooa Furniture’s side was practically predetermined anyway.

The timing had just gotten earlier.

 

“What? You already finished all of that?”

 

The employee who brought the sandwich asked, but Lee Jin-seop didn’t answer.

Instead, he called the representative who had hidden in a cave this morning, avoiding what he had done.

 

-Jin-seop. What is it?

“…We have a problem.”

 

Wooa Furniture has started to move.

However, they had already prepared sufficiently.

Because they knew the man named Roh Tae-sung best.

 

-…What’s the matter?

“Wooa Furniture has already started moving.”

-…!

“We need to crush them before they climb any higher, don’t we?”

 

We can’t lose.

If Roh Tae-sung would just turn a blind eye once, this would all disappear.

Hadn’t he always thought about the welfare of his employees?

 

‘Everyone except me, that is.’

 

How many years had it been since he joined Wooa Furniture and devoted himself to it?

Lee Jin-seop ground his teeth with a grinding sound.

 

‘…Ten years.’

 

Yes, it had been about ten years.

Even though he had devoted his entire body and soul to Wooa Furniture, Roh Tae-sung always excluded him from the executive promotion list.

 

‘…That hypocrite.’

 

When he thought of Representative Roh Tae-sung, mixed emotions crossed his mind.

He always pretended to be a good person, pretended to be kind to everyone, but the reality was different.

 

Everyone was being deceived.

In the end, everyone was being used by him.

 

‘Damn it…’

 

His stomach burned.

No, actually it didn’t matter.

By leaving Representative Roh Tae-sung, he could have everything he had wanted all along.

 

So if just Representative Roh Tae-sung alone would keep his mouth shut, if he would just let it slide just once.

 

This matter would become as if it never happened.

Of course, there would be no reason for Biga Furniture to disappear either.

 

-…I understand.

 

The phone call ended.

It was an answer that was as good as approval.

 

* * *

 

“…Lawyer, the furniture purchase from Biga Furniture has been canceled.”

 

Ah, there was that.

 

Manager Yoon Ha-young was checking something and immediately reported to me.

Noh Hae-min, who had arrived at work on time today, widened his eyes as if asking what that was about.

 

“Hmm, has there been any contact to the office?”

“No. Not yet.”

 

It had already been two days since then.

Since there were no particular measures taken, I thought a report might have gone up, and it seemed my prediction was right.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Noh Hae-min approached my desk and asked.

His father still hadn’t been discharged from the hospital, but I had only heard that he had recovered quite a bit.

 

Noh Hae-min had been quite exhausted during this time.

I was going to tell him once the situation progressed a bit. But somehow he found out early.

He had a confused expression.

 

“What did you buy from Biga Furniture?”

“Yes.”

“…What?”

 

It was understandable that he was curious.

After all, this was related to Noh Hae-min’s father, and to Noh Hae-min himself.

 

Before answering, I handed Noh Hae-min a pamphlet I had brought from Biga Furniture’s special exhibition hall.

I had been planning to show it to him anyway.

 

“This is…”

“It’s a pamphlet related to Biga Furniture’s current special exhibition.”

“Ah…”

 

These were photos taken with an artistic eye of every corner of the exhibition hall.

Noh Hae-min’s expression became a bit darker.

 

“I didn’t give it to you to make you depressed. Look here.”

 

I found the storage cabinet I had intended to buy in the pamphlet and pointed to it.

 

“Mmm…”

“I was going to buy this. Because Master Noh Jung-do’s patterns were most clearly displayed on it.”

“…”

 

Noh Hae-min silently examined the pamphlet for a moment.

I had already confirmed with my own eyes that the design was completely identical to the prototype products that had been in his house, so now it was Noh Hae-min’s turn.

 

“And there was an employee there.”

“…Employee?”

“Yes, according to information I looked up beforehand, Representative Yoon Sang-do was supposed to personally explain the works to customers throughout the special exhibition period.”

“…”

“But I heard he was absent that day due to personal circumstances.”

 

Noh Hae-min still had a confused expression.

He stared at the pamphlet blankly, then slowly turned his gaze toward me.

 

“…Why did you go all the way… there?”

 

Was it resentment?

No, it’s a bit different from that.

 

Does Noh Hae-min feel burdened about moving before his father has even recovered?

Or does he still want to believe in Yoon Sang-do?

 

I couldn’t read all of Noh Hae-min’s thoughts, so I answered even more calmly.

 

“He was testing the waters.”

“…What?”

“That design, I mean.”

 

Noh Hae-min’s expression grew darker and darker.

I pointed to the pamphlet and continued speaking.

 

“Senior, what do you think when you look at the furniture in this pamphlet?”

“What? Just… well. They’re identical…?”

 

Right, identical.

This wasn’t just referencing the design.

It looked like they had precisely ‘known’ and copied it.

 

“That’s right. They’re identical. So identical that even a non-expert’s eyes can see it.”

 

So.

 

“This isn’t something Yoon Sang-do could have done alone.”

 

Noh Hae-min froze.

He had an expression as if something was difficult to understand.

 

Of course he would.

Because there wasn’t just one traitor.

 

“What… what are you saying? Uncle Yoon didn’t do it alone? Ah, of course those employees would have made it from what uncle brought, so everyone….”

“No, that’s not the problem.”

 

I started with the conclusion so Noh Hae-min wouldn’t avoid it.

 

“There’s one more person.”

“…!”

“No matter how close Yoon Sang-do was to Roh Tae-sung, it would have been difficult for him to perfectly and identically copy furniture that had already been completed as prototype products, and moreover, an entire furniture line that was probably secretly manufactured for release as the next line.”

 

Because memory alone has its limits.

 

“But according to what we’ve already investigated.”

 

Before I could finish speaking, Noh Hae-min muttered in a small voice.

 

“…They were identical. Really identical.”

 

I nodded.

 

Moreover, if Yoon Sang-do had approached Roh Tae-sung to extract information and filmed his home, or if he had broken into his office or study to steal information.

It would have been impossible not to discover it in a house and office that already had CCTV installed.

 

“So there are roughly two possibilities.”

“….”

“First, Roh Tae-sung turned a blind eye to Yoon Sang-do’s actions.”

“…!”

“But since Roh Tae-sung collapsed after watching Biga Furniture’s award interview, this assumption is discarded.”

 

Noh Hae-min’s mouth gaped.

The flood of information seemed utterly confusing.

 

“And second.”

“….”

“Someone stole Roh Tae-sung’s new product line information and handed it over to Yoon Sang-do.”

 

I was betting on this one.

 

“That means….”

“There’s one more person.”

“….”

“And that person would be someone who knows about this furniture line well, next to Roh Tae-sung or Yoon Sang-do.”

 

Someone close to Representative Roh Tae-sung or a trusted figure within the company who was in charge of that furniture line.

 

“…So, that means… someone within father’s company….”

“Yes.”

 

Roh Tae-sung didn’t just collapse.

A friend’s betrayal, and the betrayal of his most trusted colleague.

 

“We need to confirm the truth with your father, but.”

“….”

“It’s probably Lee Jin-seop. That person.”

 

Right, that employee who had introduced the products at the special exhibition hall. His name was Lee Jin-seop.

I opened my mouth again toward Noh Hae-min, who had turned pale and was just blinking.

 

“I went to the special exhibition hall on purpose.”

“….”

“At first I was trying to meet Yoon Sang-do, but it was rather lucky. Because Lee Jin-seop was there.”

 

I didn’t know when I first visited the exhibition hall.

It was a place I had gone to test Yoon Sang-do.

 

But thanks to Yoon Sang-do not being there, I found the traitor’s name.

 

[…All betrayals are bound to leave traces.]

 

Sung Tae-hyun’s Diary had given me a hint.

Well, that made it easier to figure out.

 

“Who would be an employee capable of taking responsibility and standing in for the Representative when introducing products directly?”

“…!”

“They’d need to have a high level of understanding about this design at the very least.”

 

Even Manager Yoon Ha-young’s hands, which had been tapping away at her keyboard in the distance, had stopped.

 

“Since they’d be the Representative’s proxy. Moreover, the customers at the Special Exhibition Hall would essentially be either very interested in this kind of Premium Furniture or important clients willing to pay this amount for value.”

“….”

“So as I mentioned earlier, if there was an internal traitor at Wooa Furniture.”

“….”

“And if he took all the confidential information and went over to Biga Furniture.”

“….”

“He would have been there.”

 

Noh Hae-min’s eyes flashed.

 

“But Tae-hyun. Wouldn’t he try to hide instead? The furniture market isn’t that big either.”

“No, Senior. You already told me that.”

 

The internal traitor from Wooa Furniture probably resigned through normal procedures at least a few months ago.

And then moved to Biga Furniture.

 

Wooa Furniture had several Design Teams, with separate managers for each Furniture Line that they pushed forward.

This particular case was especially a line created directly under the Representative, since it was a product made using Traditional Patterns from Noh Jung-do, Noh Hae-min’s grandfather.

 

“It’s not a design that everyone inside Wooa Furniture knows about.”

“…!”

“That’s what was written in the Materials you brought, Senior.”

“…But still….”

“The more you have to hide, the more you act confident.”

 

Moreover, his confidence probably grew from entering an international competition that Wooa Furniture didn’t participate in separately.

Since he essentially made the first public reveal.

 

“How did you… ah, no. I understand for now. What should I do?”

“Lee Jin-seop. Of course there’s a chance I’m wrong, but… well, let’s contact Wooa Furniture through Father to get information about that Employee.”

“…Got it.”

 

Well, if my prediction is correct, Biga Furniture will make the first move before that.

Since we’d already canceled the purchase. It wasn’t a secret that we’d started moving.

 

“Are you in?”

 

As soon as I finished thinking, someone started knocking at the front of the Office.

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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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