The Greatest Conglomerate Ever With the American Lottery

30. Why would you touch someone you love?

The next day, in the morning, I met with a lawyer who was a junior of Professor Jang Young-dong to formally appoint a lawyer.

“Mr. Park is also a former deputy judge of the High Court, so it’s actually a bit unfortunate that I’m entrusting him with this case, but I asked him to take it on specially. hehehehe!”

“hahahahaha, senior, how can you say that when I am so indebted to you?”

“Our Mr. Kang is trying to start something good, but it seems like he’s getting in the way, so I called you in, so let’s settle things neatly.”

“Sure thing, hahahahaha!”

A former deputy chief judge of a high court.

I’m getting a little impressed.

According to Professor Zhang, the deputy chief judge of the High Court is a vice-ministerial position, which is the highest position a judge can realistically rise to on merit.

From the Supreme Court, it’s all political, and you can’t move up unless you’re lucky.

Park Hong-ryul, the lawyer in front of me, was a deputy chief justice of the High Court until just three years ago, and he was nominated for the Supreme Court several times, but he didn’t make it to the Supreme Court because he didn’t fall under the political consideration.

“I’m sorry to see you on this case, Mr. Lawyer. I’ll take your place, but I’ll make sure you don’t have to pay me.”

“Ouch, don’t say that. I hear you do great things for poor children. If you have any money to give me, I’d rather you buy them some chicken.”

“No, but—.”

“That’s perfectly fine. Besides, I’d get a lot of flack if I took a lot of money for such a small thing. I’ll just think I did something nice for the kids.”

“Well, the kids will eat the chicken, then, because I was going to be pretty generous with it, right?”

“hahahahaha!”

“hahahahaha!”

What’s that they say about people who are like-minded?

I felt good that Jeffrey introduced me to some really nice people.

We had an early lunch and left for Korean Air headquarters.

Of course, I paid for my own lunch.

“Mr. Cheol-sik?”

“Yes, I’m Mr. Cheol-sik.”

“Oh, I’ve been waiting for you, please come this way.”

I called Team Leader Cho on the first floor, and he sent an employee down to show me around.

“It’s not quite two o’clock yet, but the suspect’s lawyers arrived a little while ago and are with our lawyers. I assume these are the lawyers you appointed?”

“Yes, they are.”

“The other side’s lawyers are some of the best in the business, and that worried me and Team Leader Joe, but it’s a relief to see you guys looking so seasoned. You’ve got a lot of power, don’t you?”

The 40-something associate who introduced himself as the deputy team leader whispered to me as he walked a few steps ahead.

“Yeah, they’re a hard bunch to please.”

“Ho-ho, is that so, I’m looking forward to this, hahahahaha!”

Yes, you can look forward to it.

“Team Leader, I’m here to see you.”

The deputy team leader opened the conference room door and entered, announcing our arrival in a booming voice.

“Oh, hello, I’m the team leader, Gapchun Cho, who greeted you on the phone.”

I’m the guy who flew first class on all six of my flights to and from the United States.

Not only am I a VIP customer of Korean Air, but I’m also the one who’s getting the sh*t kicked out of me for subduing a lunatic.

Team Leader Cho was extremely polite to me.

“Oh, yeah. It’s not a good thing we’re meeting, but it’s nice to see you.”

“I’m just apologizing. I hope this can be resolved quickly. Didn’t your lawyer come with you?”

“I brought him with me, but he’s a little slow because he’s an old man. Professor, lawyer, please come in.”

Professor Jang Young-dong and lawyer Park Hong-ryul, who were slightly behind the conversation, entered through the open door.

“Are you here?”

“Excuse me.”

Then, the movements of the lawyers from Sejeong Law Firm, who had come first and were talking among themselves in a slightly arrogant manner, came to a screeching halt, and two of them, who looked to be in their mid- to late-40s, were especially startled and looked at them with wide eyes as if they had seen a ghost.

“Huh, the chief justice and the vice chief?”

“Vice, professor, and the chief justice?”

The man in his late 40s looked mostly surprised to see both Professor Jang and Attorney Park, while the man a few years younger than him looked surprised to see Professor Park.

Then, when they saw Mr. Park, they chuckled and opened their mouths.

“Ho-oh, look who it is, welcome faces, how are you?”

Boom!

His chair screeched backwards as he stood up in such a hurry, and he folded his waist in half in greeting.

“Ah, good morning, Mr. Chief Justice, Mr. Dean!”

“Good morning, Professor! Chief Justice!”

The other two lawyers, both in their thirties, didn’t speak English and bowed accordingly.

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you. Did someone tell you that your name is Jeong Jeong-hoon?”

“Yes, that’s right, and I’m the last to retire from the Incheon District Court.”

“hahahaha! Mr. Jung was just starting out when I was an assistant judge at the Seoul Southern District Court.”

“Ah, so we had that connection, but I don’t recognize the gentleman next to you.”

“Hello, Mr. Chief Justice! My name is So Jun-gil, and I was a deputy chief prosecutor at the Incheon District Office until a few years ago.”

“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you. By the way, do you have any connection with our Mr. Park?”

“He was my professor at the Judicial Training Center.”

“Oh! So you said you were a professor?”

“hahahaha! What a coincidence. Mr. So was a trainee I remember very well, senior.”

“Huh? Why?”

“He seemed like a fellow who could do better, but he got scolded a few times by me for being lazy.”

“Oh, I see.”

“…”

“…”

The atmosphere got really weird.

It was like students being scolded by the opposing lawyers for doing something wrong.

The Korean Air lawyers took advantage of the opportunity to politely greet Prof. Chang and Mr. Park.

“Come on, let’s talk about business.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“Okay, make it easy.”

“So, you and the Chief Justice have decided to take on this case?”

“Yes, I’m the captain, and the chief justice is going to consult. Why or why not?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just that it’s a little—.”

“Why?”

“I think it’s a little bit—.”

“Okay, that’s a good way to put it. Does it make sense to have two hotshot ex-cops on the defense team in a case that doesn’t even look like a case?”

“…”

“…”

I said.

“I have a personal relationship with each of you, but let’s keep public and private separate. Don’t think about the Supreme Court, or my former job, and just say it. So you’re going to sue Mr. Cheol-Sik?”

“Yes, with all due respect, Mr. Kang, you assaulted our client, and he was badly injured.”

“How injured?”

“Well, it’s—. A full two weeks.”

“Two weeks in total? Are you saying he’s not hurt at all, or just bruises?”

“…”

“Well, that’s odd, then, because you guys should know that this is a non-prosecution, and normally, even if it were prosecuted, you could make it into a million-dollar fine case, but this was on an airliner, and you were asked to cooperate by the director general under the Aviation Security Act, so what are you thinking?”

“Well, not really.”

“Now, listen to me. It’s clear that your client will be punished severely under the Aviation Security Act, and it’s understandable that people of your stature would want to see him spared jail time. I don’t like the idea of using your influence to make that happen, but that’s what you do. Even a murderer is entitled to a defense.”

“…”

“But this isn’t it,” I said, “pressing charges for something you know you’re not guilty of, even if you’re not charged or indicted, and you’re as big as you are? It just doesn’t make sense to me, and there’s only one thing I can think of, and that’s that your client is trying to screw with Mr. Kang somehow, because he’s resentful that he got beaten up, and he’s told you to harass him somehow, or make him pay a fine if you can, and make him a felon?”

That’s all I could think of.

Like Mr. Park said, it sucks that they have a lot of money and they’re trying to do whatever they can to avoid jail time, but I guess they can.

But why put me on the line?

I have nothing to do with him getting a reduced sentence?

“That’s not really right, is it? You’re trying to turn an innocent man into a guilty man because your client is paying you a lot of money?”

There was a hint of anger in Mr. Park’s voice.

As a lawyer, he had the right to defend anyone, so he couldn’t say anything about it, but trying to use his influence to make an innocent person guilty was clearly crossing the line.

“…”

“…”

The two of them could only lower their heads as their faces grew wider, as if they were already a little embarrassed.

And who would dare to argue in front of them?

Well, there was someone who did.

Someone completely out of place.

“What are you talking about? Do you have proof?”

A woman lawyer in her thirties stepped forward from the cleansing room, looking at the two presidents as if they were being admonished.

“Huh! Hey! Hey! Lawyer Yu, where do you dare to stand?”

“Stay still! Stay still!”

The two frightened officers tried to stop her, but she didn’t seem to mind at all.

“No, what? I’m a lawyer, too, so I’m entitled to speak?”

“Hey, that’s not how it works, is it?”

“You want me to have something to say?”

“Uh-huh, yeah, if you have something to say, say it.”

Instead, Mr. Park laughed and said that if he had something to say, he should say it.

“No, I’m not a law school graduate, I’m not an old hand, but I’m a lawyer, and I’m no match for you two seniors here, but I’m a lawyer. Is it wrong for a lawyer to actively consider the client’s position? You talk as if you’ve sold your soul for money, but what about the two of you, aren’t you both paid to be here in this assault case? You’re a Supreme Court Justice and a Deputy Chief Justice of the High Court? Gee, I think I’d be more embarrassed by that than anything else.”

“Oh, no, let’s see, let’s see, sin, I’m sorry!”

Wow!

I had the impression that she was a bit of a hussy, but she’s not a normal girl, is she?

“hehehehe, I’ll tell you about that.”

Professor Jang Young-dong stepped forward.

“So, what’s your name?”

“I’m Attorney Yu Chang-sook.”

“Yes, Mr. Yoo. I’m Jang Young-dong, a Supreme Court justice until two years ago. I don’t practice law, and I never will.”

“What?”

“Just in case, I’m registered as a lawyer, but I haven’t registered to practice. I’m here today because it’s an informal meeting and I’m only here to advise.”

“That, that—.”

“So I haven’t taken a penny, and I won’t take a penny. I’m a very rich man, I’m ashamed to say, but I’ve inherited quite a bit of money from my ancestors, and I’ve always been in the top five fingers of the court when it comes to declaring public property. Mr. Chung! Wasn’t it?” “Yes, that’s right, Mr. Chief Justice.”

“You heard it, didn’t you? If you don’t believe me, do a search on my name later. You’ll see that it’s true. And! Although Mr. Park Hong-ryul here is a private lawyer, he considered this case to be a public interest defense and decided not to take a penny, so Mr. Yu’s words about you guys being sold for money are not true.”

“Ma, that’s ridiculous—. Then why would people like you defend someone who has enough money to fly first class—.”

What a woman.

She was visibly flustered but managed to say something.

“Didn’t I just tell you that it’s a public interest defense? Why public interest defense? Because Mr. Chul-Sik Kang here, even though he’s a lot younger than me, was doing, and is doing, a great job that I want to admire.”

“What?”

“He spent 10 billion won to create new homes for children in orphanages who had nowhere else to go, and then, out of pity for children who turn 18 and are thrown out into society defenselessly, he spent another 20 billion won to take care of as many as he could.”

“Huh!”

“And more! Next year he says he’ll put up another 50 billion, and more every year! Now, how can I stand by and let this fine young man become a convicted assailant without a crime, and do you now admit that our plea is a public interest plea?”

“I admit it.”

Finally, he bowed his head.

“And then I’m going to give you my next answer, and I’m going to do it in a way that makes me feel comfortable, because from now on I’m going to be speaking as a lawyer.”

“Well, go ahead.”

“You’re not basic, are you?”

“What?”

“Where the hell did you learn that sh*t, and who told you that it’s okay for a lawyer to cheat if the client pays him a lot of money, huh? Did you learn that in law school, or did you learn it from a senior lawyer?”

“…”

“What the hell, it’s bad enough to try to influence a judge who’s supposed to judge according to the law and your conscience, but what’s wrong with going one step further and saying you’re going to create a crime where there isn’t one and make him a felon? How dare you insult the law!!!”

“…”

Wow, Professor Zhang, I must see you again.

He was so quiet and respectful to me, even when I was much younger, that I thought he was just an idiot, but he was not.

The power and force of his abstract reprimand was no joke.

“You’re not qualified to be a lawyer, you’re going to have to learn from scratch!”

“…”

“And you!”

“Yes, Chief Justice!”

“Yes, sir!”

The two old men, who had been bowing their heads, answered angrily and with great astonishment.

“I will see to it that this matter is settled, and if you play any hard tricks on our Chief Steel, I will not stand idly by; I will show you what the real power of the Hall is, so that you may know and not be disrespectful!”

“Yes, I understand!”

“We’ll keep our hands out of this right away!”

“Eh! What in the world is going on! Phew! Shall we go, Mr. Kang?”

“Yes! Let’s go!”

“No, why are you suddenly so eager?”

“…”

Ani, didn’t the professor make you do that?

After a brief exchange of pleasantries with the Korean Air lawyers, Professor Jang and Mr. Park headed to a high-end Japanese restaurant.

“What happens now?”

It was early, but as they sipped on traditional liquor and asked what was going to happen next, Professor Jang just laughed, and Mr. Park answered.

“What happens is that it’s over, isn’t it?”

“What? Is that the end of it? They say they’re dropping out, but isn’t it possible that another lawyer in Sejeong or a lawyer from another law firm could take over?””hehehehe! Mr. Kang thinks too little of my brother?”

“What?”

What do you mean he thinks too low?

And this guy, as soon as he enters the bar, he immediately calls Professor Zhang his elder brother?

“The scariest person on our floor is someone like you.”

“What?”

“A man who has risen to the highest position as a Supreme Court Justice, but he doesn’t practice, and he doesn’t care about honor. Money? Like you said earlier, you’ve always been in the top three fingers, not five, in the ranking of court property disclosures, so even money can’t buy you off.”

“Eh, that’s a bunch of nonsense—.”

“Isn’t that right, Elder Brother? Anyway, he got angry and said he would stand behind Mr. Kang until the end, and that’s the end of the game.”

“Ah—.”

“I hate to break it to you, but there are quite a few judges who look up to you, and with your junior Supreme Court justices still on the bench, word will get around quickly that you did what you were told.”

“No, how?”

“Even if I keep my mouth shut, the Korean Air lawyers will start rumors on their own. Besides, this floor is very narrow. After one leg, there’s hardly anyone who isn’t a senior citizen. I guarantee you, by tomorrow, it’ll be prosecutors, courts, lawyers, and no one you don’t know. Ha ha ha!”

“Oh!”

“In other words, no lawyer with at least a modicum of competence is going to want to take this case, and I’m sure that’s not what you meant, but it’s going to have an effect on your case.”

Whoa, that’s a lot, huh?

“What about her lawyer?”

“She’ll never set foot in the mainstream legal business again. At best, she’ll go solo or join a small firm and do frivolous litigation. She’s way over the line.”

That’s some cider.

“And nine times out of ten, the asshole who started the rampage is going to get jail time, too. He’s got a bad record to begin with, and the Aviation Security Act was amended in February of this year to make the law tougher. If I hadn’t touched you and let those two bastards do their thing back there, I might have been able to get off with probation, but now that’s a long shot. It’s an unfortunate reality, but expensive lawyers are expensive for a reason, and this one’s kind of kicking my ass, too, hehehehe!”

In other words, if he hadn’t messed with me, there was a good chance he would have gotten off with probation.

Why would you mess with someone you love?