Chapter 145
"Taesik. I'm deeply impressed by your tremendous ability. Come here."
Kang Minjae, who had been quietly listening to Taesik's words, spoke up in a very serious tone.
But Taesik wasn't the type to come just because someone told him to, or go when ordered.
"Kang Byeon can come."
And Kang Byeon was the type who came when beckoned and left when dismissed.
The moment Kang Minjae drew close to Taesik, he threw his arms around him in a hug. Taesik's massive frame made it impossible to wrap both arms fully around, but Kang Minjae paid no mind.
"What the hell? Why are you doing this? It's creepy."
Taesik gave him a light shove, but he didn't seem all that displeased. The corner of his mouth twitched upward.
"No, come on. Sanggil said when he asked, the guy spilled everything like a faucet. Even if the boss had asked straight up, you'd have gotten it out of him."
And then Taesik—uncharacteristically—played humble. So much so that my hand paused mid-dial to the foreman as I overheard their banter.
"You feeling okay?"
I asked.
"I'm fine."
"Why are you acting so humble all of a sudden? It's not like you, Taesik."
Kang Minjae chimed in.
"......If the boss pretends to be humble, maybe he'll pay extra. He seems like the type who hates show-offs."
Taesik whispered to Kang Byeon.
"The boss doesn't care if you're humble or bragging. He's just short on basic human empathy."
"Oh, really? Damn, what a waste acting all modest. Ptooey."
Office Manager Oh watched them with a faint smile.
Truth be told, I didn't buy Taesik's claim that we could've gotten it out of him easily if we'd gone ourselves. If we'd shown up as Oh Sanghyeon's lawyers and asked point-blank, they'd have dodged out of fear Wooshin would make an issue of it.
"So after the foreman and Go Yunseong disappeared together, everyone on site saw him rush into the office?"
I asked before making the call.
Taesik, who had been chattering excitedly with Kang Minjae, peeked out toward me and answered.
"Not everyone saw it firsthand, but word spread among those who did, so anyone who needed to know does. Thing is, the foreman later told everyone there was no CCTV on site, so nobody knows he actually knows the truth."
That meant Kim Uicheol telling us to go see the foreman implied some conversation between those two. Kim Uicheol was just someone instructed to perjure himself; without the foreman spilling, he couldn't have known about the CCTV.
"Oh, Lawyer Cha."
Just then, Office Manager Oh held up a freshly arrived fax.
"The hospital where Oh Sanghyeon was admitted sent over the response on when he arrived at the ER."
Office Manager Oh brought the documents to me.
There was no record of Oh Sanghyeon arriving by ambulance, nor any timestamp for his ER entry. Reception often lags, so it wouldn't pinpoint the exact time. They'd have had to dig through some tedious records to confirm.
Lucky they replied.
"There's an hour gap from the end time on the CCTV footage."
Factoring in travel time from the site to the hospital, he definitely arrived late.
I'd hoped confirming his arrival would add proof that Go Yunseong assaulted him, but had they calculated even this?
If so, it was horrifying in its own way. Leaving a guy who'd passed out mid-beating for half an hour—what if something went wrong? Reckless didn't cover it.
"I'll call the foreman first."
I stepped out to the balcony as I dialed. After a few rings, he picked up.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Chu Jeongeuk, the site foreman?"
"Yes, that's me. Who's this?"
"This is lawyer Cha Juhan."
The moment I identified myself, I heard a gulp from the other end.
"What can I do for you?"
"Kim Uicheol told me to talk to you. Since you know the truth about the incident, I figured you'd tell me."
Kim Uicheol never said exactly that, but hadn't he kept yelling for us to go see the foreman? Probably thought along those lines. Just my guess, though.
If the foreman checked with Kim Uicheol, the lie would unravel fast. But Kim Uicheol had dropped that hint to go see him. And given his personality, he wouldn't flat-out deny it if pressed.
"......I have no idea what you're talking about."
After a long silence, the foreman spoke.
I hadn't expected him to cave easily—he'd taken money and lied from the start about no CCTV. But I couldn't let him off that easily either.
We'd proven Go Yunseong's feigned illness, but still lacked direct evidence of the assault on Oh Sanghyeon. Even today's hospital arrival time was a bust.
"Foreman."
"Yes."
"There was CCTV at the site. Right?"
"CCTV? What are you talking about? I told you already—there wasn't."
"No. There was."
"......"
Ever since gaining my truth-detection ability, I'd developed a habit of bluffing without evidence—unlike before.
I used to never speculate without solid proof or circumstantial facts. Bluffing carried huge risks unless deliberate, and it weighed on me.
But now? No evidence, but I had facts.
"Do you have proof?"
"Yes."
"......That can't be. It's not true—how could there be evidence?"
"There was CCTV, and you saw it. You watched Oh Sanghyeon get beaten by Go Yunseong with your own two eyes. Didn't you?"
"Did Kim Uicheol tell you that?"
Oh ho. So he'd admitted to Kim Uicheol that he'd seen it himself.
Acting like he wouldn't talk, but mentioning Kim Uicheol's tip early had worked. If he'd steeled himself to stay silent, he wouldn't waver like this.
The foreman must have a conscience nagging him.
"Let's meet in person and talk."
"......Fine. If we meet, I can see this evidence you claim to have, right?"
I don't have any. Time to dodge.
"When's convenient? The sooner for us, the better."
"......After work today. 7 PM. Can I pick the spot?"
"Of course."
"Exit 3 at Ttukseom Yurwonji. There's an outdoor stage right in front—I'll wait behind it."
"Got it."
"Then—"
"Foreman."
"Yes?"
"Be careful."
The foreman sounded baffled.
"Careful of what?"
Right now, he was the sole witness to the site. As long as Wooshin knew he existed, they wouldn't just bribe him and leave it at that.
"Don't tell anyone about meeting me today."
His site's a Wooshin construction zone. Planting surveillance on him? Routine.
Even I'd worry if I were him.
"......Understood."
I hung up and headed back inside.
"Kang Byeon, we're meeting the foreman at Ttukseom Yurwonji at 7. Get ready."
I'd addressed Kang Byeon, but Taesik replied.
"7 PM? Wow. You say it so casually, making us work overtime. Classic exploitative lawyer."
Yang Hansuk pocketed his phone with a heavy expression.
"Do these bastards think prosecutors are their personal fixers......?"
The call had been from Go Yunseong's lawyer.
This time, to do well, he'd been chewed out dozens of times by Hwang Youngchan and swallowed his pride to cater to Go Yunseong's whims.
Yet there was more to do?
Yang Hansuk grimaced as he stood.
"Prosecutor, where are you going? I was just about to ask for your sign-off."
The section chief called after him as he stormed out of his office.
"Chief's summoning me. I'll review it when I return."
Yang Hansuk headed for the chief prosecutor's office.
He just wanted this case over fast.
His resolve to handle it hadn't wavered, but he couldn't shake the anxiety that his corruption might get exposed.
And he had no one to confide in.
Telling Hwang Youngchan? He'd get scolded for being small-minded.
This mess he'd started hand-in-glove with Wooshin and Hwang felt like a solo endurance game now.
"Chief, Yang Hansuk."
"Come in."
Yang Hansuk took a deep breath and shoved the door open.
"What is it?"
"Just got a call from Go Yunseong's lawyer."
"About what?"
Hwang Youngchan replied without looking up from his newspaper.
"You know the site foreman saw the CCTV, right?"
"Yeah. Wooshin was handling that side, no? Bribed him good, even put a tail on him to keep him in line."
"Yes."
"And when Cha Juhan showed up at the site himself last time, he bought the story."
"Yes."
"So why that guy now?"
"......He called today. Says the foreman made an appointment with Cha Juhan."
Only then did Hwang Youngchan look up from the paper. He removed his glasses, face twisting as he stared at Yang Hansuk—eyes ice-cold.
Yang Hansuk clenched his fists behind his back.
No eye contact until Cha Juhan's name dropped, then instant attitude shift.
Urgent matter, no doubt. Yang Hansuk steadied himself.
"The foreman looked nervous during the call, talking evidence, and agreed to meet...... The lawyer peeked at his recent calls while he was away. It was Cha Juhan."
"Who asked him that?"
Hwang Youngchan said coldly.
"You saying Cha Juhan sniffed it out? That there was CCTV and the foreman saw it?"
"......Seems like."
No clue how, but circumstances pointed that way.
By the time Cha Juhan took the case, evidence was long gone. CCTV detached ages ago—trace remains, but nothing proving it existed.
Workers didn't know about it. Unless the foreman talked.
But he was nervous on the call, so probably not.
How the hell did he know?
"So what'd Taegwang's lawyer say?"
"......They've done their part—hope his name stays out of court."
Hwang Youngchan let out a small sigh.
Sharp silence stretched. Cold sweat beaded on Yang Hansuk's hidden fists.
Finally, Hwang Youngchan spoke quietly.
"Keep that foreman tied up till the trial ends."
Yang Hansuk's eyes widened.
But Hwang pressed on, unconcerned.
"Don't overdo it. Just enough—no more, no less. Till the trial's over."