Chapter 41 – He Slowly Raised His Hand

Lawyer Geum Nae-yeong’s office.

Geum Nae-yeong, who was looking into the documents, opened his mouth.

“For this case, I think Lawyer Seong Seok-ju should go instead of me. It seems it will be difficult for me to adjust my schedule.”

Seong Seok-ju nodded.

“Yes, fortunately I don’t have a trial on this day. I will handle it. There isn’t much to prepare for a rebuttal in this case either.”

The next case was the one Office Manager Ju was checking.

“Office Manager Ju, has the date for judgment pronouncement of that Gankyeok revocation of fraudulent act case been set?”

Ju Yong-hae turned over the notes he had prepared thoroughly in advance and answered calmly.

“Yes, it is the fourteenth of next month. Well, since we have never lost a Gankyeok case, we’ll win this time too.”

Cha Ra-ri grinned and chimed in.

“Of course! A hundred victories in a hundred battles this time too. We must crush them!”

Scribble, scribble.

Geum Nae-yeong wrote down something in his notebook. Watching him do so, Cha Ra-ri tilted her head and asked.

“Lawyer, by the way, sometimes you look at your notebook or write something… what on earth are you writing? Could it be… a hit list? Death Note?”

Ju Yong-hae cut in, playing along.

“Indeed. You wrote just now too as soon as Gankyeok was mentioned… aren’t you writing a list of people on Gankyeok’s side to send away? Haha.”

Geum Nae-yeong blinked once and replied dryly.

“The winning rate and return on investment. Looking at the numbers written in the notebook… makes me feel quite satisfied. Since we are still at one hundred percent against Gankyeok. It’s a good number.”

“Ah…”

Cha Ra-ri burst into laughter.

“That’s indeed just like you, Lawyer Geum. Perhaps because word has spread lately, the number of people getting angry in front of Gankyeok is also gradually decreasing.

It feels like they are just coming to our side on their own. Although it’s a bit regrettable for me.”

“Ah, regarding the statement Cha Ra-ri brought. That case will end in our victory, eventually, with the dismissal of the appeal.

I will tell the Director separately to give twenty percent of the success fee as Cha Ra-ri’s share.

And Office Manager Ju Yong-hae, I will also reflect in your bonus that you brought the certificate of receipt for the application for correction of party’s designation this morning.”

“Really? Oh yeah! I saved on gas money this month.”

Cha Ra-ri cheered.

‘Right… all that time I endured all kinds of mistreatment while working as an event model was all for this moment.

There isn’t a single useless, trivial errand, a boss whose calculations are as accurate as an AI’s, no senior who scolds me under the guise of teaching me work, and a system where money returns exactly as much as I sweated and ran… Perfect!

Why is there any reason not to work hard? This is indeed my dream workplace!’

Before she knew it, Cha Ra-ri’s mind changed from ‘let’s just do it for a few months’ to ‘let’s definitely work here for a long, long time if possible.’

And as if promising herself, she clenched her fist tightly.

“Thanks to Lawyer Geum, I will also become a capable dad. Hahaha.”

Office Manager Ju continued speaking with a laugh.

“But, the person who seems really amazing to me is Cha Ra-ri. How did she get the statement that Gankyeok couldn’t get even after using all kinds of means last time so quickly?”

Cha Ra-ri grinned.

“Well, it was nothing much. Just friendly empathy… and.”

“And?”

“A smile.”

“A smile? Is that enough? No matter how much I think about it, it’s really amazing… I think making a person you see for the first time laugh is the hardest thing in the world.”

Office Manager Ju Yong-hae shook his head as if he couldn’t understand at all. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he opened his mouth.

“By the way, Lawyer. Today is the day the new lawyer moves in. He will go into the office of the lawyer I used to assist.”

“Yes, I heard. Since they are coming in the afternoon, I will see them after I return from the trial.”

To Geum Nae-yeong’s brief reply, Ju Yong-hae added.

“But it seems they have a massive amount of luggage. I heard they even called a ladder truck. The office will be a bit noisy in the afternoon, so please come back slowly after the trial ends, Lawyer.”

At those words, Seong Seok-ju tilted his head.

“A ladder truck? No matter how much luggage they have, is that really necessary?”

Office Manager Ju scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.

“Indeed. I am curious too. What on earth is there so much of… haha.”

***

Clank- clank-

Along with heavy metallic sounds, large moving items came up to the third-floor office one by one. The moving scale of the newly arrived lawyer was different from the start.

The moving center staff carried boxes and large furniture, sweating profusely.

Voices saying “Whoa, careful, careful!” were heard from all over.

After the moving items were organized to some extent.

“Hello, I am Gil Man-uk.”

An elderly lawyer of advanced age offered his greetings.

He was a person whose face clearly showed the weight of his career, as if retirement were not far off.

Lawyer Gil Man-uk wore a gentle smile to the staff of Teum.

“Hello, I am Ju Yong-hae, the office manager working with Lawyer Geum Nae-yeong.”

“I am Office Manager Yeom No-sik, in charge of Lawyer Seong Seok-yeon.”

First meeting. Lawyer Gil Man-uk offered greetings without formality in a free-and-easy manner. Then, he called his staff to exchange greetings.

“I look forward to working with you. Haha. I will introduce our family members too.”

Step, step.

A man stepped forward.

“Hello. I am Chu Wang-cheol.”

The first impression of Chu Wang-cheol was extremely impressive.

The trace of fatigue from heavy work that law office employees usually carried could not be found in him, and rather, he was a middle-aged man overflowing with unbelievable energy.

A polo shirt with the collar stood straight up, tight-fitting jeans, and dazzlingly white sneakers.

The vitality radiating from his broad shoulders and solid build, combined with a confident expression, naturally focused attention on him.

‘That person… is an office manager?’

Glances were exchanged among the staff. Office Manager Yeom spoke first with a laugh.

“Ah, nice to meet you. I am Yeom No-sik. Your fashion is really cool, haha.”

“Not at all, haha.”

As Chu Wang-cheol smiled good-naturedly, the tense atmosphere of the first meeting loosened a lot.

“Hello. I am Kim Mi-yeong, the director in charge of the entire office’s accounting.”

Kim Mi-yeong bowed politely and offered greetings.

At that moment, Chu Wang-cheol’s eyes widened.

“My, to think such a beauty is in the office. Haha.”

A somewhat satisfied smile bloomed on the corner of Kim Mi-yeong’s mouth.

“Oh my, a beauty? I am a mother. Hoho.”

“Yes? You have a child too? I saw you as late twenties or at most early thirties. You must have been popular when you were young.”

“Oh my. Hohoho. Thank you.”

As Kim Mi-yeong smiled, Office Manager Yeom who was next to him nudged Ju Yong-hae’s side.

However, Ju Yong-hae was expressionless and did not even blink.

‘…Early thirties, my foot.’

“I am Choi Mun-hui. I look forward to working with you.”

When the new female employee offered greetings, Kim Mi-yeong brightened up with welcome.

“Oh my, you make such a good impression. Looking at you, Mun-hui, you seem to be of similar age to Cha Ra-ri, so you guys can be friends in the future.

I will introduce you when Cha Ra-ri comes later. She just went out for a moment to distribute Vita 600.”

“Vita 600?”

Choi Mun-hui asked back in wonder, but no one gave her an answer.

Some time after such greetings were exchanged.

Whirrrr—

Rumble—

The sound of assembling machinery was heard from somewhere.

The staff, who initially thought the heating equipment was broken, gathered one by one toward where the sound came from out of curiosity.

“Wow… what is this? My jaw drops.”

The widest room with the door wide open.

Lawyer Gil Man-uk’s room was a sight that would make any arcade envious.

In the front, a super-large TV that looked easily ninety inches filled the wall, and on one wall, a racing game console with a steering wheel and pedals like a real car was located.

On the opposite side, a fishing game machine where one could actually swing a fishing rod, and next to it, various gaming controllers ranging from pistols to shotguns and even bows were neatly organized on a display shelf built like a bookshelf.

And in front of the window, even a Street Fighter game console with two flashing joysticks.

It was as if the arcade had been moved directly into the office.

Director Kim Mi-yeong opened her eyes wide and asked Choi Mun-hui, who was next to her.

“Wait… what is all this?”

“It’s our lawyer’s hobby. He is originally a former judge, you know. He said that when he was young, he only studied like crazy and never got to play a game properly.

But at home, whenever he bought a game console, his wife would say ‘How old are you to play games’ and throw it straight into the garbage dump. That’s why he couldn’t play a single game at home out of walking on eggshells, so he just turned the office into an arcade like this.”

“Wow… I’m really envious. It’s the dream of every game enthusiast.”

While the employees buzzed and marveled, Geum Nae-yeong, who returned after finishing his trial, saw the people gathered and moved his steps to that place.

Office Manager Yeom sparkled his eyes as he looked at the large fishing game console.

“Fishing… I really want to try that.”

“You may do it when the lawyer goes to trial or leaves his seat. As long as you don’t break it, he won’t say anything. So our office manager became a Street Fighter master too.”

“Oh-oh! Really?”

Office Manager Yeom was already excited.

“Yes, they say this is really expensive. I heard the lawyer brought it in separately through an acquaintance.”

Office Manager Yeom hesitated for a moment and then carefully lifted the fishing rod.

“Wow… the way it wraps snugly in my hand is extremely identical to a real fishing rod.”

“Ah, everyone was watching!”

Just then, Lawyer Gil Man-uk entered the office, and Office Manager Yeom hurriedly placed the fishing rod back in its place.

“Come and enjoy whenever you’re bored. I only do consultations in the consultation room. This was all installed just to have fun. Hahahaha!”

Seeing the people’s eyes widen, Gil Man-uk explained them one by one excitedly.

The image of the gentle old gentleman from when they first saw him was gone without a trace, and he looked excited like a boy.

“This is hard to find in Korea right now, but I asked a friend living in the US to airlift it. It’s a headache because if a part breaks I have to send it to the US, but the recoil is absolutely killer.”

He pointed at the racing game console.

“This is on a different level from the ones in arcades. The handling is completely different. I have a Class 1 Ordinary license, and when shifting gears with the stick, that taste is truly alive.”

This time, he boasted while lifting up a firearm.

“This is well, just a rifle to shoot for fun… and this is for gun shooting games, which is almost identical to the HK147. The origin is different. The recoil is completely lifelike.”

The inside of the office was now crowded like a game center. Gil Man-uk changed the CD in the game machine excitedly.

“This is Time Crisis Part 2, directly imported from Japan. Part 3 is officially released, but this has better graphics… hohoho.”

Click—

As the disk spun, the screen flashed on.

“Now, look. Here, first, second, third places. They are all my records, but the score is definitely not an easy one.

If by any chance you are confident in breaking my record, try it. If I acknowledge it, I will just give you one of the game machines you like here.

Even if my eyes aren’t what they used to be, I am confident in shooting! Shooting is well… done by feel, haha.”

“Geez… look at this score. How much do you even have to do to get that score?”

The employees checked the total score and nodded.

“And this chip, as you can see, was released in the US…”

“I will break it.”

He slowly raised his hand.