Chapter 18 : Team Rocket

Lawyer Ahn Gyeong-hun, reading the secretary’s gaze, made a thoughtful expression for a moment.

And then, he slowly continued speaking.

…I’ll work hard.”

“Hahaha. Good, no, very good. From now on, you’re my lawyer, so I should show you proper respect.”

The answer came not from Go Jong-tak, but from Team Leader Cha Kang-hyuk.

Go Jong-tak’s brow twitched at the neat appearance, which was hard to believe belonged to the same scoundrel who had been shouting in excitement until now.

It was a side of him he had never shown to Go Jong-tak, who had diligently handled his affairs for five years.

‘Even a scoundrel is cornered, is that it?’

Go Jong-tak’s mind raced.

No matter how simple-minded Cha Kang-hyuk was, he had at least some sense.

So, he wouldn’t be completely unaware.

That there were no lawyers eager to take on his case right now.

It was only natural, considering the case had the attention of the entire nation.

Therefore, it was also natural to feel grateful to the lawyer who had bravely stepped forward.

‘A feeling that won’t last long anyway.’

It was only because of Go Jong-tak that he had managed to coax and appease such a guy this far.

In short, if it weren’t for the backing of Cha han Construction, he would be nothing, yet he doesn’t even recognize the grace shown to him until now.

Will such a beastly guy continue to show such polite behavior even when he’s being dragged through court?

‘Not a chance.’

It was a meeting convened because they needed someone to take responsibility anyway.

CEO Lee Han-woong also told him to find someone suitable to take responsibility.

But Ahn Gyeong-hun?

Wasn’t he already on his way out of the company?

Since he was going to be discarded anyway, it wouldn’t be bad for him to sacrifice himself and carry the burden.

Moreover, the retainer fee for this case was substantial.

Perhaps all the cases he had ever handled combined wouldn’t amount to this one.

Because no lawyer at Lee & Yeon wouldn’t know that Ahn Gyeong-hun had been at the bottom until now.

“Lawyer Ahn, please take good care of our Team Leader Cha for me too.”

“Yes, Lawyer Go.”

Go Jong-tak soon put on a good-natured smile.

It was a gesture for Team Leader Cha Kang-hyuk.

After all, Ahn Gyeong-hun would end up taking all the responsibility for this case.

Then, Go Jong-tak needed to continue managing his image in front of Cha Kang-hyuk.

But.

Go Jong-tak’s gaze turned to Kim Yoo-hee.

The audacious secretary who dared to speak up during the lawyer’s meeting.

‘Loyalty?’

Being such an unusual secretary, Go Jong-tak was aware of Kim Yoo-hee’s existence.

That there was an eccentric person who worked herself to the bone for the company out of loyalty.

He, who had an inferiority complex about his academic background, also liked that the secretary’s academic background was from a local university.

This type of person craves recognition.

Just like him.

That would mean she’s easy to manipulate.

Because that’s the weakness of a powerless person.

‘But I’ll need to teach her some manners.’

Where does a dog bark in a conference room?

A well-behaved dog quietly listens to its owner.

Even if it’s just someone else’s dog.

The meeting that had turned the company upside down ended, and it was already almost lunchtime.

I walked to the pantry to reset the conference room, which all the lawyers had left.

Because Lawyer Ahn Gyeong-hun and Team Leader Cha Kang-hyuk were scheduled to continue their meeting in the same place in the afternoon.

‘I have to attend the afternoon meeting too.’

Currently, I’m the only one who truly understands this case and can solve it.

Without me, it’s clear they’ll follow the same path as in my previous life.

As I continued my thoughts, I stopped and looked up at the thick shadow cast in front of me.

‘Go Jong-tak.’

As soon as I confirmed the identity of the shadow, my fists clenched on their own.

I managed to bow my head, which wouldn’t go down easily, and greeted him.

“…Hello, Lawyer.”

“I’m not doing well.”

Go Jong-tak spoke in a sharp tone.

It was a sign that he was displeased about something.

It was only natural, given how many such incidents had occurred in the conference room today.

The reason he waited in the hallway where I would pass must be one.

It must be because of me.

Because he’s the type who doesn’t treat secretaries like people.

And yet, I, a mere secretary, had recommended a lawyer in the conference room today.

From Go Jong-tak’s perspective, it must have been hard to just overlook it.

I had somewhat expected it, but facing it directly, it was hard to suppress the nauseating feeling.

“How dare a secretary run wild in a sacred meeting?”

“I merely conveyed Lawyer Ahn’s opinion on his behalf.”

At my answer, Go Jong-tak laughed loudly.

Then, he put on a serious face and pointed a finger at my eyes.

It.

“How dare you stare at me with wide eyes and talk back when I’m speaking.”

I know well that his hand won’t reach my eye.

Because if he were to poke a secretary’s eye at the company, no matter who Go Jong-tak was, it would be news worldwide.

Yet, my heart trembled with humiliation.

Go Jong-tak must have aimed for this as well.

Expressing my emotions unfiltered here would be amateurish.

The intermediate move is to close your eyes and hide it.

Instead of answering, I stared at his dirty fingertips with an unwavering gaze.

“Ha, as expected, your fundamental nature is rotten.”

Seeing Go Jong-tak’s reaction, my choice was correct.

The secretary who should have been startled and submitted to his actions was instead reacting in the opposite way.

However, my current actions weren’t causing any problems either.

Because I was simply staring at the finger that had pointed at my eye.

Only one thing. Go Jong-tak’s mood must have worsened.

‘That’s precisely what I want.’

If it had been an issue from the beginning, Go Jong-tak, with his personality, wouldn’t have stayed quiet in the conference room.

But the fact that he was quiet means he knew and let it pass.

That it wasn’t Lawyer Ahn Gyeong-hun’s will, but that I had stepped forward and made him Cha Kang-hyuk’s lawyer.

But even if he knew, what could he do?

After all, what Go Jong-tak needed was a scapegoat to take responsibility in his stead.

“Act like a secretary. Don’t be impertinent and run wild, unable to distinguish between when to step forward and when not to.”

“My secretary has never done that.”

An unexpected voice came from behind me.

It was Lawyer Ahn, who should have gone to eat lunch.

I stared at Lawyer Ahn, who appeared beside me, with surprised eyes.

“Lawyer Ahn.”

Go Jong-tak also looked quite surprised.

From his perspective, it’s a natural reaction to defend someone he doesn’t even consider a person.

However, only one person, Lawyer Ahn Gyeong-hun, had a more resolute expression than ever before.

“My secretary here simply conveyed my opinion. So why is that ‘running wild’?”

“That…”

Go Jong-tak was in a rather amusing predicament.

If he were to say to Lawyer Ahn, “That wasn’t your will, was it?”, it would mean he knowingly overlooked a major issue in a crucial meeting.

More importantly, what if Lawyer Ahn himself denied it?

He stood there, wide-eyed, unable to do either, then bit his lip and spoke.

“Why didn’t you speak directly and have your secretary do it?”

“Because I lacked the courage.”

This was true.

As expected, Lawyer Ahn never lies, no matter the situation.

I watched the situation, releasing the tension in my hands.

“If you don’t even have that much courage, how can you take on a case like this?”

“Then, should I back out?”

“Th-this…”

In this situation, who would be the most awkward if he said he would back out?

It would be Go Jong-tak, who would directly face the already raging anger of the scoundrel.

Above all, if Lawyer Ahn isn’t there, who will take the blame for this case?

Go Jong-tak can absolutely not let him back out.

“Since you’ve voluntarily taken on this case, you’ll have to take full responsibility.”

“Of course. So, please ensure the distribution ratio is fair.”

Lawyer Ahn directly countered Go Jong-tak’s words.

Only then did I feel a centuries-old burden lift slightly.

I gazed at Lawyer Ahn with a satisfied look, seeing him surpass my teachings from the time with Lawyer Seo Il-hwa.

“Naturally. What kind of person is our Lawyer Go? He’ll take good care of it for sure.”

“Hmm, then I’ll get the highest ratio this time too. Otherwise, there’d be no point in stepping forward without courage, would there?”

“Th-the two-person thugs…”

Ah, the two-person thugs?

I’ve already heard that from Lawyer Seo Il-hwa, it’s getting old.

In the end, Go Jong-tak, unable to even recover his original investment, trembled his hands and tried to leave the spot.

“Lawyer Go.”

“What, the ratio? Just give me the highest, what’s the big deal?”

That’s a given.

What would happen if Lawyer Ahn were to throw a tantrum and say he couldn’t take the case in this situation?

I found it hard to hold back my laughter, watching Lawyer Ahn lean on one leg for the first time since I joined the company.

“You should apologize to my secretary before you go.”

“What?”

“I heard that no other secretary dared to enter the meeting today. But Ms. Yoo-hee bravely came in, cleaned up the conference room, and even conveyed my intentions, yet she receives such treatment. As the lawyer in charge, I am quite disappointed.”

“But that’s something she should naturally do as the secretary for the lawyer in charge of this case…”

“Then why didn’t Lawyer Go’s secretary, who was originally in charge of Team Leader Cha Kang-hyuk, come in?”

It’s not easy to beat Lawyer Ahn in an argument.

If he didn’t have that backing from the start, such a high win rate wouldn’t have been possible.

‘This is an unexpected spectacle, watching a fire from a distance!’

I knew Go Jong-tak would be thoroughly grilled in the conference room today.

The reason I had to go and clean up the conference room in the first place was largely because Go Jong-tak had been thrashed by Team Leader Cha in the first round.

But to see such a scene even outside the conference room.

Though it might not have been Lawyer Ahn Gyeong-hun’s intention, I felt grateful in many ways.

“My secretary was busy with a lot of work today.”

“When it comes to work, I don’t think there’s any secretary in our company busier than Ms. Yoo-hee.”

Lawyer Ahn is doing great!

I felt like applauding.

But from Go Jong-tak’s perspective, he must have never been so infuriated by frank words.

“Apologize. Otherwise, I will bring this issue up with Team Leader Cha Kang-hyuk during the afternoon meeting.”

“You’re going to bring up an issue with Team Leader Cha just because of one mere secretary?”

“Mere? It seems Lawyer Go usually thinks of secretaries that way.”

“That’s…”

Did Lawyer Ahn always beat people with words so well?

This was a side of him I had never seen in my previous life.

“I’m… sor…ry…”

“I can’t hear you well.”

“Ugh, then wear a hearing aid!”

Go Jong-tak, who had apologized in a voice as small as an ant’s, quickly disappeared down the hallway.

Lawyer Ahn looked at the spot where he had vanished in an instant, with a hollow smile.

“No, a hearing aid? Was I the only one who couldn’t hear him?”

“No, I couldn’t hear him well either.”

In the end, we both burst into laughter.

Lawyer Ahn also seemed to find the situation quite amusing.

“By the way, that thing Lawyer Go was saying earlier. Was it ‘two-person thugs’?”

“Yes. I think so too.”

“Our reputation just keeps soaring. I wonder if the company will start calling us by that nickname.”

“Then, what, should we change it to something like Team Rocket? If they ask how much the ratio is, it’s only human to answer!”

“Pfft, what is that?”

“Ah, if you don’t know, don’t try to find out.”

Because you might get hurt if you do.

Lawyer Ahn’s solemn and serious image, I should protect it myself.