Chapter 190
"Good morning."
Today, as always, Office Manager Oh had arrived earliest and was holding down the fort. Naturally, there was no sign of Kang Minjae, the owner of the desk next to his. It was understandable—he'd driven all the way from Jinseong to Seoul yesterday, so he must have been exhausted.
"You must be tired too, sir. Why not take it easy?"
As I set my bag down on the desk, Oh shot me a look of concern.
"I've rested plenty. And you've been handling everything alone the last two days—must've been tough."
With his years of experience, Oh could manage basic legal consultations and most of the clerical work, so it wasn't a huge burden for me to step away. Still, shouldering all that for two straight days couldn't have been easy. Even brief absences probably felt uncomfortable.
Oh rattled his cigarette pack and nodded toward the balcony.
"We've both been so busy lately—feels like forever since we just talked like this."
He shut the balcony door tight before speaking. I lit his cigarette and gave a short nod.
"It has."
"This case feels like we're finally hitting Wooshin Group head-on. That's the plan, right?"
Until now, I'd been stepping into cases that had already unfolded. But this time, the incident itself stemmed from my actions. Oh had helped prepare the materials I passed to Jo Bongjun and Choi Jonghyeon, so of course he knew.
"It could get dangerous."
"I'm prepared for that."
"Sounds like the picture in your head is even bigger."
Oh smiled wryly. I returned the smile without another word. He had no idea he'd said the exact same thing to me in my previous life. He'd worried back then too—that things would get even riskier. And he hadn't been wrong. I'd thought the same, that pursuing this meant no safety net.
But things were different now. Back then, I was just a man of that age and experience. Not anymore. I had years of know-how and foreknowledge of future events. So this time could be different. He could relax a bit.
If only I could say that.
"Don't worry too much."
I watched his back as he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
He had no clue how much strength it gave me just knowing he'd left the prosecutors' office to stay by my side.
—"Good morning... Huh? What? Am I first?"
Just then, Kang Minjae's booming voice echoed from outside the balcony. The room was so well soundproofed that unless you shouted, you couldn't hear much with the door closed.
"What now? You're not first, Kang— you're dead last."
Oh opened the balcony door and stepped out. Kang slumped his shoulders and pouted.
"Aw, man. And I was feeling good."
"Kang, you know that stop you have to make on the way back from Northern District Court today, right?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Got it."
Yoo Minhyuk had been late sorting his pharmacy, so he'd handed us the private safe key ahead of time. The location was just ten minutes from Northern District Court. Who knew there'd be a private safe there?
Private safes were often used in crimes, so I knew a few notorious ones. Jang Taesik probably knew even more. Most disguised themselves as pawnshops. They looked the part from outside. But inside? Steel walls thick enough to hide a body, crammed with vaults. Guarded by tattooed "big brothers" who ran the local underworld.
Banks had safes too, but they had to open up with a warrant. That's why crooks preferred private ones.
I hadn't expected Yoo Minhyuk to stash his Myeonghwa Pharmaceuticals docs there, though.
"Ready to head out?"
Kang stretched as he spoke. Had we chatted that long already? I nodded, opening the drawer where I'd stashed the key from Yoo—the top one, always locked.
"……."
"What's up?"
Kang, waiting by the door, eyed me rummaging strangely.
"……."
"What, it's gone?"
Kang's face hardened. But then he glanced at me and Oh, chuckled, and waved it off.
"You're messing with me, right?"
"No. It's gone."
I pulled the drawer out completely—nothing. No safe key.
Finally grasping the gravity, Oh and Kang crowded my desk, digging through together. I kept things tidy, so it didn't take long. We shook out every paper. Not even a hint of metal.
"……Sir, you sure you put it here?"
Oh tilted his head, puzzled.
"Yes. I even asked you yesterday which drawer key it was."
"……Right. Where the hell did it go?"
Panic set in. Kang and Oh split up, scouring the office. I did the same.
An hour later, we collapsed on the sofa in defeat.
"If you're sure it was in that drawer, doesn't this mean it was stolen?"
"……So someone broke in after I locked up yesterday?"
"Possible."
I sighed deeply.
"Myeonghwa Pharmaceuticals bastards' doing?"
Kang ground his teeth.
"They ransacked the place and took it?"
"……Maybe."
I rubbed my forehead.
"This is insane. What do we do? Yoo trusted us with that key……."
Kang stomped around. He was right. I'd pressured him into handing it over despite his reluctance. Losing it? Trust shattered.
I slumped against the sofa back, eyes squeezed shut.
"If Yoo deposited it himself, they can open it without the key. Even if Myeonghwa stole it, they won't know which safe."
Oh said calmly, dialing Yoo's number on my phone and handing it over.
I hesitated, then hit call. This news might make him faint. Or bail entirely.
I bit my lip, listening to the rings.
—"Yes, sir? Find the materials okay?"
"Yoo Minhyuk. I'm truly sorry, but the key was stolen."
—"What?!"
Yoo yelped. I explained briefly, apologizing profusely for our negligence. Praying he wouldn't back out.
But if he did, what could I do? I wouldn't trust a lawyer like this either.
—"……Sigh. I'll head up to Seoul now."
But Yoo responded smoothly.
—"Fastest ride leaves soon—should hit Seoul around 5. Meet at 6?"
"Yoo Minhyuk!"
At exactly 6, Kang hollered across the street at the man pacing in front of the private safe. Yoo hopped out of a taxi, scanning nervously as he jaywalked over.
"Yoo, we're so sorry. We should've been more careful. Our fault."
"……Sorry."
"No helping it. Myeonghwa Pharmaceuticals aren't pushovers. Why do you think I stashed it here?"
Thankfully, Yoo just sighed—no real anger. He urged no more delays and hurried inside. We followed.
The safe was on the top floor. After climbing forever, a heavy steel door loomed. Like the owner's quarters in a standard villa.
Yoo buzzed. The lock clicked open. He beckoned us in.
"How'd you get here?"
A burly, tattooed thug at the pawnshop counter inside eyed us suspiciously. Total gangster vibe.
But Yoo answered casually.
"Picking up my stuff."
"Key."
"Lost it."
The man scowled, scanning us again.
"Contract then."
Yoo pulled an orange envelope from his jacket and set it down. The man snatched it, scrutinizing under UV light for fakes.
Finally, he stuck out his hand.
"ID."
Yoo handed over his license. Scanned, then the man lumbered out.
"You only. Follow."
He blocked Kang and me. Yoo nodded it was fine and went in with him.
Nothing visible outside. Door sealed, silent.
About five minutes later, it reopened. Yoo and the man emerged.
"……Yoo."
Kang scanned his empty hands immediately. So did I.
Then his face.
"……It's gone."
Yoo muttered, pale as a ghost.
"The safe's empty……."
[Kokonut: Yeah, why are Bongjun and Jonghyun teary? lololol]
"Hello. Fifth broadcast already. Choi Jonghyeon here."
"Apollon Jo Bongjun."
The duo, usually beaming through intros, looked wrecked—like they hadn't eaten in days. Their grim faces filled the screen, sparking chat frenzy: What's wrong?
"……Sigh, no clue where to start. You go, reporter."
"Why's it always me for the shitty stories? You do it, Jo Bongjun."
"……Hah."
Jo sighed deeply, scanning the racing chat in silence.
"We planned to show proof of Myeonghwa Pharmaceuticals' atrocities today."
"A tipster with evidence—we went far to get it. But…… it all went up in smoke."
Naebaetsal Ogeopsal: Ever seen real proof? All circumstantial bullshit, knew it
"Hey, no fighting. Fight and you're blocked."
"Yeah, cut it out. We're stressed enough—don't make viewers brawl. Wanna fight? Log off."
Choi ruffled his hair irritably. The chat's frenzy slowed.
"Myeonghwa suits watching? Listen up. Steal our hard-won evidence—feel good? Say it, fuckers. Does swiping it make you happy?!"
"Bongjun, calm down. It's live."
"Calm my ass! It was done—done! How does this happen?!"
Jo pounded his chest, then fixed on the camera dead-center.
"……That's what I hoped you'd think, you Myeonghwa scum?"
"World exclusive. Proof Myeonghwa asked a US lab to fake poor hiazolam trial results. We got it solo. And that's not all. Stay tuned!"
With Choi's words, an English-scanned doc popped up onscreen.
Jo and Choi glanced off-camera at me and Yoo Minhyuk watching the broadcast. Arms crossed, I smiled faintly.
Yoo, beside me, did the same.