The fact that Cha Kang-hyuk received a prison sentence in his previous life means that Director Cha took all the blame alone.
There was almost no mention of Woo Jin-gon and his father in this case.
This was because Woo Jin-gon settled the matter with money before even going to court, and the prosecution ended it with a non-indictment.
So, everything I’ve said until now is indeed a novel.
Because there were no records left anywhere of what the Woo Jin-gon father-and-son duo did.
That’s why I’ve been pondering and agonizing ever since I returned.
To find the hidden meaning in this case that I hadn’t read before.
The conclusion I reached was this: “Woo Jeon-wan. He’s the largest shareholder of KBN and Woo Jin-gon’s father.”
“Hahahaha. Well, isn’t that a bit too much for a novel?”
“But you’re not denying it.”
Director Cha Kang-hyuk gave a bitter laugh at my observation.
That must mean my “novel” was quite convincing.
I folded my fingers and continued speaking.
“First, that reporter probably isn’t from a major media outlet.”
“What’s the reason for that?”
The one who asked the question was Lawyer Ahn Gyeong-hun.
Cha Kang-hyuk also waited for my answer with a curious expression beside him.
“If it were a major media outlet, there’d be no reason to break this story at KBN. If Mr. Woo Jin-gon was properly filtered and the story was broken in their own media, they’d gain fame and achievements, and also make a tidy sum from him. How perfect would that picture be?”
“Damn it……..”
A low curse escaped Cha Kang-hyuk’s lips.
Watching him, I continued my argument.
“But what if it’s an internet newspaper reporter?”
The year after the 2002 World Cup.
Around this time, internet newspapers began to emerge one by one.
This means they still had little influence.
Because most people didn’t even know such newspapers existed.
“Anyway, even if they broke it in their own newspaper, it wouldn’t be much different from shouting into the void. Media only has value if someone seeks it out and reads it.”
“That’s right. I also check major news daily, but I hardly even know internet newspapers exist.”
“Yes, Lawyer Ahn. News only increases its value through expansion and reproduction in the mainstream. In short, to have an impact, it needs to be covered by broadcast media, or at least major newspapers.”
The world right before I died had expanded that role to the realm of YouTubers and influencers active on social media.
But it’s 2004 now.
Social media, let alone smartphones, hadn’t even been released yet.
Media can only exert power through broadcast and news organizations.
That’s why I intend to take Lee Chil-hong’s case there.
Cha Han Construction’s media network would allow them to make contact easily.
To do that, I first need to save Cha Kang-hyuk so I can have leverage with Cha Han Construction.
More precisely, he must not receive the “prison sentence” that everyone expects.
‘If he just holds out, the victim will regain consciousness, but unfortunately, this case can’t just drag on indefinitely.’
He’s already facing public criticism, and if he drags out the time here, people will say things like this: ‘A trick to buy a large law firm with money to stall for time and then escape when public opinion dies down.’
Well, it’s true that money was used.
And a lot of it, enough to make you exclaim “billion.”
Given the importance of the case, it was natural.
It was Chairman Cha’s tearful attempt to save his son, one could say.
Actually, I was convinced that I couldn’t just drag out this case because the records of Go Jong-tak from my previous life, who had already tried everything, remained intact.
Even courtrooms that usually accept changes to trial dates were unforgiving in this case.
Because if they accepted, they would be criticized too.
But it’s not like there are no methods at all.
I unfolded the fingers I had folded and said,
“The reporter went to KBN for two reasons. First, they didn’t want to miss the scoop they’d covered. But it would have been difficult where they worked. It only becomes a scoop if someone listens to it. Because the echo from an unreliable source is highly likely to be treated as mere rumors floating around.”
I want to break the story I covered widely.
At least for a reporter, it would be hard to suppress that primal desire.
“The second is the money I mentioned earlier.”
“Yes, that’s right, Director. If it’s an internet newspaper that hasn’t yet established itself, there’s a high probability they’re a freelancer, not an employee.”
What is the main source of income for media?
Naturally, newspaper subscriptions and advertising. But it’s hard to expect that from an unknown internet newspaper.
They’d probably be worried about the newspaper’s very next day.
In short, it’s difficult to receive a proper salary.
If they’re a freelancer, they’re called a reporter, but they’re actually in a worse position than a part-timer.
A part-timer gets paid hourly for the hours they work, but a freelancer only makes money when work comes in, so it’s much more unstable.
Meaning it’s hard to be free from the temptation of money.
Cha Kang-hyuk ran a hand over his face after listening to my explanation.
“Actually, Director Cha, you were probably on the scale too. Chairman Cha wouldn’t ignore his only successor. But the desire to break the scoop they’d caught to the media was also strong. Then there’s no other option better than KBN.”
Anyway, the article and photos can be massaged.
If that wasn’t even on the negotiation table, there would have been no reason to agree in the first place.
“Besides, if they’re going to break it anyway, wouldn’t breaking it spectacularly raise KBN’s stock price?”
Anyway, there’s no mention of Woo Jin-gon.
All that was said about him in the news article was “Cha Kang-hyuk’s group.”
Moreover, the only sources were the photos from the first reporter who covered it and the victims who had already been paid to keep quiet.
One of them is even lying in the intensive care unit.
After hearing my entire “novel,” Cha Kang-hyuk slammed his fist on the conference table.
“Damn it! I want to deny it, but I can’t find anything to refute it with.”
“As I said at the beginning, this is just my novel, so there’s no need to get so agitated…”
“I’m not an idiot. I can judge that the probability of this being reality is much higher than it being a novel.”
That’s right.
That’s why Lawyer Ahn Gyeong-hun is silently listening beside him.
It’s because it doesn’t make sense to have held onto such a scoop for over two days.
They needed time to sell the article and silence the victims.
However, Cha Kang-hyuk’s case was different.
From the beginning, he wasn’t the one who started the dispute, so there was no need to settle with conscious victims, and the family of the victim lying in the hospital… they must be “crunching numbers.”
In the previous life, the settlement money they received from Cha Kang-hyuk was enough for an apartment.
I opened my mouth in a heavy voice.
“Then, assuming my ‘novel’ is somewhat based on reality, may I suggest a strategy for dealing with the case going forward?”
Cha Kang-hyuk’s eyes, which had been negative about my handling of this case until now, wavered.
I was the only one who had deduced this much, not just in this life, but in the previous one as well.
Only I can solve this case now.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Thank you.”
Good.
Given Cha Kang-hyuk’s personality, he would have said no if it wasn’t acceptable.
Compared to his initial reaction, asking how he could entrust this to a secretary, this was a tear-inducing improvement.
“First, what’s urgent for us is the video containing the truth of that day.”
“Hmm, as I said earlier, that’s an isolated place. There’s no way something like that would exist.”
“So, I’d like to do an on-site investigation first. If we can salvage anything, we might be able to turn the case around to some extent.”
“That’s true, but it might be difficult to completely turn public opinion around as long as the party involved is lying in the intensive care unit, Ms. Yoo-hee.”
No matter how unfairly he’s been treated, the person is unconscious and hasn’t woken up.
That alone is enough for the possibility of a prison sentence.
But first, what if we could somehow manage public opinion?
“If my ‘novel’ is correct, it might not be entirely impossible.”
“Is that possible?”
Instead of answering, I nodded lightly. Then, I stood up and said,
“In a case, you just need to break a bigger one.”
We have a big fish named Woo Jin-gon, thrashing and breathing.
Of course, to do that, we need one more person to fish.
I smiled broadly, looking down at the two people sitting in the chairs.
Lawyer Yoon Yi-hoon had only worked one day with the temporary secretary, but he already felt suffocated.
Unlike Yoo-hee, who understood everything just by a look, he had to explain everything in detail, from A to Z.
The problem was that he himself was still a rookie in his first year.
“Ah, I don’t know much about practical work either…”
Tears welled up, but he couldn’t cause trouble for Yoo-hee.
He couldn’t add to the burden of a secretary who was embracing a giant bomb named Cha Kang-hyuk.
“This wild brat! Why did you cause such an accident and take Ms. Yoo-hee, who was working perfectly fine?!”
To be precise, it wasn’t the “brat” who did it, but in Yoon Yi-hoon’s mind, he was already an unparalleled scoundrel.
Yoon Yi-hoon vented his frustration in his room and then trudged out.
He already had a lot of work, but for the time being, it was clear that he would be working Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Friday, Friday, going to work before the stars appeared and leaving after they did.
To do that, he had to eat a hearty meal.
“What am I eating for dinner today?”
He scrolled through the names written on the intercom.
He intended to call out any of his colleagues who were available at this hour.
At that moment, the intercom rang first.
It was Kim Yoo-hee.
He picked up the receiver with a welcoming heart.
“Yes, Ms. Yoo-hee.”
“Lawyer, you haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”
“I was just looking for dinner companions urgently.”
“Then how about dinner with Lawyer Ahn and me?”
“Oh, that’s great. I actually wanted to have dinner with you two sometime.”
“Hehe. Then let’s meet in 30 minutes at the place I’ll tell you.”
“Awesome! That sounds perfect.”
“Oh, by the way, there’s one more person joining us. Is that okay?”
“Oh, could it be Mr. Guk Min-woo, who we had dinner with last time?”
“It’s not him… but just see and then tell me.”
“Yep!”
Yoon Yi-hoon hung up the phone, saved the document he was working on, and picked up his suit jacket from the hanger.
He was already curious about the encounter with Cha Kang-hyuk today, and he might hear about it over dinner.
He could also complain about his own woes.
So Yoon Yi-hoon put on his suit jacket. In the meantime, the intercom rang twice, but he coolly rejected the calls.
He wanted to avoid seeing the faces of his usual colleagues for today.
Most importantly, it was Japanese course cuisine today.
Even as a lawyer, it was a meal he rarely encountered, and he hummed a tune.
He could enjoy his favorite Japanese food and sake.
He arrived at the Japanese restaurant room five minutes earlier than the appointed time.
“Oh, you’re already here.”
Anyway, both Ms. Yoo-hee and Lawyer Ahn are so diligent, you have to give them credit.
He opened the door wide with a pleased heart.
“Lawyer Ahn, Ms. Yoo-hee. You’ve both had a hard time today because of that wild brat, Cha Kang-hyuk!”
“……!”
The moment Yoon Yi-hoon’s eyes met theirs, their expressions could be summed up in one word:
“Whoa.”