Chapter 15 – Around How Much is Your Wealth

Slam,

Closing the door hard, Attorney Seong entered his office.

“What? Is that bastard really going to use me as an associate?”

Attorney Seong Seok-ju could not hide his absurdity. But having even written the agreement in front of many attorneys, backing out now was rather more damaging to his pride.

“Hyung, have you arrived at work?”

Soon after, his brother Seong Tae-gyu arrived at work, opening the office door and entering.

“Why does your face look like that since morning? Your expression was good until yesterday. By the way, parking is truly a problem here. I tried to park in front but it was packed with cars…”

To Tae-gyu, who poured out stories about being angry because there was no place to park his large car upon coming to work, Seong Seok-ju said in a powerless voice.

“…Organize your desk and bring the documents.”

“Pardon? Documents? Ah, Hyung. You told me to learn slowly. This isn’t even my major, and when I look at the documents, it’s all law talk so I don’t know what it means. Teach me a bit slowly.”

“Not that… We must take the documents and go to… Attorney Geum Nae-yeong’s office first. He told both of us to come.”

“Pardon? Geum Nae-yeong? Why are we going to that guy’s room?”

“……”

When Seong Seok-ju didn’t say anything, his brother opened his eyes wide and asked.

“No way… did you lose, Hyung? Really?”

When Seong Tae-gyu asked repeatedly, instead of speaking, Seong Seok-ju nervously began to sort out a few case documents handed over by his father.

“Shut up and follow me. Let’s just check the atmosphere and come back.”

Like that, the two brothers headed to Attorney Geum Nae-yeong’s office like cows dragged to a slaughterhouse.

Knock, knock.

Opening the door and entering, Geum Nae-yeong raised his head as if welcoming them.

“Ah, you’ve come. Sit down.”

He naturally guided the two to the consultation seats.

Thud,

As soon as Attorney Seong Seok-ju sat down, he set down the case documents he brought and said straight to the point.

“This is a case I was originally in charge of, so is there really any need for me to act as an associate again?”

When Seong Seok-ju asked, Geum Nae-yeong answered without hesitation.

“No. Since you agreed to give me 10 cases if you lose, the cases you brought are mine starting today.”

“Pardon??…”

Slap—

Geum Nae-yeong pulled out the agreement and presented it on the table. There, Seong Seok-ju’s handwritten signature was very clear.

“…Tsk… Then I can just leave the documents here and go, right?”

To the displeased Seong Seok-ju, Geum Nae-yeong replied calmly.

“No. You do not need to bring the documents again in the future. I already looked at them last time, so I know all the contents. You can just keep them.”

‘What? He knows because he looked at all the documents? When did he look at them? …No way, during that time when he reviewed the case contents alone at the greeting place? He memorized all the contents just by looking at them once?’

Geum Nae-yeong immediately continued speaking.

“Among the cases, there is a construction cost case. Write a draft of the preparatory document for that and give it to me within the morning.”

“…D-Drafting the preparatory document?..”

Attorney Seong Seok-ju’s pride was hurt again. He was an experienced lawyer of over 6 years. Yet he was being treated like an associate who writes drafts and gets them checked.’

At that moment, his brother Seong Tae-gyu chimed in with a dissatisfied face.

“Hey, I still have nothing to do and I don’t know this work well, so can’t I just leave?”

Geum Nae-yeong looked at him expressionlessly and said.

“No, Tae-gyu brother, learn some employee work from Office Manager Ju Yong-hae. When many consultations come in, you must know how to handle basic office work yourself.”

“T-Tae-gyu brother? Did you just call me Tae-gyu?”

Seong Tae-gyu stood up abruptly, unable to control his anger.

At that, Geum Nae-yeong pulled out the agreement again with an expressionless face and tapped a part with the tip of his ballpoint pen.

There, it was written:

‘If Seong Seok-ju loses, Seong Tae-gyu calls Geum Nae-yeong Hyungnim.’

Below it, the signature scribbled in Seong Tae-gyu’s handwriting remained dark.

“In the future, call me Hyungnim Geum Nae-yeong, or Attorney Hyungnim Geum Nae-yeong.”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s words, Seong Tae-gyu withdrew his angry momentum and forced his body onto the chair.

“That’s why you must read contracts or agreements well, and write them when you are confident.”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s added words, Seong Tae-gyu shut his mouth and glared at him. Geum Nae-yeong’s tone of voice was unbearably detestable.

***

1:00 PM.

After organizing her desk, Cha Ra-ri placed a [Business Trip] sign on top of it.

“Cha Ra-ri-ssi, where are you going?”

When Office Manager Ju Yong-hae asked, Cha Ra-ri replied with twinkling eyes.

“Yes, Boss, I mean, the attorney allowed me to do PR activities in the afternoon when there are no cases. I am going out starting today.”

“To bring in some cases? Ayy, that is truly not an easy task. Field office managers are usually from prosecution or court backgrounds.

Even with such connections, it’s not easy. You have to know the law well to consult, and finding and bringing in profitable cases is not easy either.”

“Right, Office Manager. I also think that is a very fatal weakness of mine?

But this office fits me surprisingly well, so I want to try and do well too. So I thought of a way to bring in cases even without legal knowledge.

And it seems like it’ll work.”

“Huh?

A way to bring in cases even without legal knowledge? You, Ra-ri-ssi?”

“Hehehe. There is a way. But before that, I need to stop by somewhere first.”

“Where are you stopping by?”

Cha Ra-ri turned her head and wore a mysterious smile.

“Office Manager, do you know when humans become most motivated and desperate?”

“Desperate? …When is that?”

“When they get a desire for material things.”

“Desire for material things…?”

“Yes. I will fully charge my desire for material things and go do the PR.”

Leaving behind incomprehensible words, Cha Ra-ri left the office at a fast speed.

“My… what a peculiar employee we got. The lawyer is also strange…”

Office Manager Yeom, who was listening from the side, muttered to himself.

***

“Welcome.”

The staff greeted Cha Ra-ri politely upon seeing her.

“By any chance, is there something you’ve looked at first?”

“No. I just… wanted to see with my own eyes.”

“Then shall I give you a catalog first?”

“No. I can just look at the ones on display, right?”

“Yes… please look..”

The staff nodded and gestured half-heartedly.

‘Ayy, again… a person who has no intention to buy but came to take a look at expensive things…’

The imported car Ferrari showroom, located largely on Gangnam-daero.

Splendid cars stood in lines. Several customers who came just to look at expensive cars arrived every day. People who dropped by just to look because they heard about them or because they appeared on TV.

The staff thought Cha Ra-ri was of a similar kind.

Cha Ra-ri set down her bag on the sofa and began to look at the cars in earnest.

“Wow……”

At that moment, there was a car that snatched Cha Ra-ri’s gaze in an instant.

The moment she saw that car, nothing else was visible and Cha Ra-ri’s heart beat wildly.

“They said it has twin-turbo and 0-to-100 takes less than 3 seconds, right? It became much sleeker than the 488…”

‘It’s you.’

“Excuse me, could you let me know the lease price for this F8?”

She pulled out her phone to take notes, but a man was sitting blankly on one side of her bag.

“…Excuse me? Look here. You are sitting on my bag.”

Cha Ra-ri spoke to him, but the man didn’t respond.

“Excuse me?”

When she called again, the man flinched and pulled his body away.

“Ah… yes?… I am sorry.”

Pulling her phone out of her bag, Cha Ra-ri asked carefully.

“Does it hurt somewhere? You’re okay, right?”

Only then did the man mutter something in a low voice.

“…How can we know what real love is?”

“Pardon? L-Love??”

Cha Ra-ri asked back at the strange words, but the man continued speaking as if talking to himself in a daze.

“It must be real love, right? Not because of money… Since she really loves me, she wants to give me money too, right?”

At the man’s incomprehensible gaze, Cha Ra-ri paused for a moment, and then wore a meaningful smile.

“Love… Personally, love is not something that makes money, so I am not interested.

But if it’s a love problem entangled with money… there is someone who can answer very accurately.”

She pulled out a business card from her bag and handed it over.

[Teum Law Office]

Employee, Field Office Manager Cha Ra-ri

Receiving the business card, the man tilted his head.

‘Law office employee, field office manager?’

But right now, he needed to vent his complicated situation, which felt like his head was bursting, to anyone.

“Are you saying you can consult with me about my worry?”

“Yes, of course. But by any chance, if it’s a love problem entangled with money… briefly, what kind of situation is it?”

“…It is before marriage, but my parents oppose it, and also…”

When the man tried to speak further, Cha Ra-ri grinned.

“Ah, then that’s fine. Marriage is also a legal problem, so it can be resolved perfectly. Go right now!”

“Is that so? Right now?”

“Of course.”

Half-doubting, the man put the business card in his wallet.

***

Late that afternoon.

In Teum Law Office, where only the sound of typing on keyboards was heard, a young man opened the door and entered.

“Excuse me, I came to get a consultation.”

The information staff asked.

“Which attorney did you come to see?”

The man presented the business card Cha Ra-ri had handed over.

“Ah… just a moment.”

The staff called Office Manager Ju to guide him, and the two soon moved to the consultation room.

“I am Kang Pyeong-gu. A person handed me this business card by chance at the car showroom.”

“Ah, through our Cha Ra-ri-ssi’s introduction…”

The Office Manager admired in his mind.

‘My, bringing in a client as soon as she goes out. That friend is truly unusual.’

But the words the man spat out were even more unexpected.

“I have a worry… I am in love, but I don’t know if it’s real love, or if the other party likes me because of money.”

Hearing the man’s confession, Office Manager Ju Yong-hae nodded.

‘Indeed… he just needed someone to listen to his story, so he came all the way to a law office.’

Just as he was thinking of listening to the circumstances moderately and sending him back, the man added.

“I have some assets… but my mother opposes the marriage. She says she doesn’t like my partner.”

“Ah… such cases are common. Anyone has such worries. Besides, from the mother’s perspective, she can’t help but worry before marriage.”

“That’s true, but according to my mother, that woman is aiming for my assets… that’s why she says she wants to marry me…”

“Hmm… When you build a family, money naturally goes in. Such problems are issues that you should discuss well with your family and decide.

By the way, around how much is your wealth?”

“I’ve never calculated it exactly, but near Gangnam-daero…”

“Yes, near?”

“I own about five buildings, and there are also assets I haven’t inherited yet. I am an only son.”

“…Gangnam-daero? You mean near Gangnam Station, right?”

“Yes, the building opposite Pigoda Language Institute and the building next to it are under my name.”

“Pardon?? Aren’t those… buildings worth over a hundred billion won?”