Chapter 62 – So You Posted a Malicious Comment to the Lawyer

Thud!

Cold air rushed in through the open door.

Park Ki-on walked into the office blindly.

“Hey! Hey! Geum Nae-yeong! Where is he!!”

Hearing the news of ‘the customer from hell appearing’ via the company messenger already, Cha Ra-ri jumped up from her seat.

“Client! You must wait your turn.”

The moment Cha Ra-ri saw the troublemaker’s face, she recognized him at a glance as the very man who had just driven recklessly on the road.

“Oh, the very person who drove so impolitely?

Since you seem like someone who violates order frequently, let me tell you in advance.

In our office, even if the president’s grandfather comes, or a conglomerate chairman comes, you have to wait if you didn’t make a reservation.”

Park Ki-on, who already had a memory of clashing with Cha Ra-ri, mocked her words.

“What are you, bossing me around just because you’re a law office employee! Hey! You shut up!

I didn’t come to consult, so get lost while I’m being nice!!!”

Slam-clink!

Unable to contain his temper, Park Ki-on kicked the trash can in his way, making the metallic trash can roll around and scattering trash all over the floor.

“Excuse me! Doing this here will only make things more troublesome for you, you know?”

“What?? Troublesome? Absurd. Should I apologize to the trash can just because I kicked one? Fuck.”

“No. Not only is it impossible to apologize to a trash can, but an apology is something you demand from a person with common sense.

Lawyer Geum is not here right now. Since he went to court, you have to wait at least an hour.”

At that moment, hearing the commotion, Ju Yong-hae stood up and scanned Park Ki-on’s face.

‘Hmm… Fierce wrinkles caught between his eyebrows, no generosity at the corners of his eyes, and his mouth area is gathered like a rat’s face.

A face that looks like he has caused trouble since childhood. In terms of physiognomy, he has a perfect nuisance face… and a face where his life will roll into prison on its own even if left alone.’

Having finished his physiognomy analysis, Ju Yong-hae approached Park Ki-on with a relaxed attitude.

“Oh, I heard you came to meet our Lawyer Geum?”

“What are you?”

“What else, since I’m here, I must be an employee of this firm.

But you said it’s not a legal consultation, so what business brings you here?”

“Geum Nae-yeong, that bastard, sued me just now, you know? But do you think I’ll blink an eye at that?

How many lawyers are there in South Korea? Just because I wrote ‘crappy’ about something that’s crappy, is that a malicious comment?”

As Park Ki-on’s voice grew louder, Ju Yong-hae nodded and spoke.

“Ah… So you posted a malicious comment to our lawyer. You could do that. But then, you don’t need to meet him.”

“What? Why is there no need to meet him! Huh!! Right now, I’m about to go to the police station?”

“Meeting him might only add more charges. Like intimidation… or coercion.

I have never seen anyone who posted a malicious comment to our lawyer receive forgiveness, but… did you come to beg for forgiveness by any chance?”

At Ju Yong-hae’s relaxed voice, Park Ki-on lost his temper.

“What? Are you all psychos? What kind of fucking place is this! Hey, that’s Geum Nae-yeong’s office, right?

It’s written on the door. Geum Nae-yeong!

Get lost, I will go in and wait even without your permission! Fuck!”

While Park Ki-on was screaming, his body was suddenly lifted into the air with a *whoosh*.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!”

And soon, Park Ki-on’s body was thrown to the floor with a thud.

“Hey! If you have something to say, send a complaint. Why do you come here and make so much noise?”

It was Seong Tae-gyu.

“What? You… did you just hit me?”

“Hit you? Who hit whom? You were just bullshitting on your own and fell.”

“What? You’re saying you didn’t hit me? Hey! You all saw it, right? This bastard hitting me just now!”

Park Ki-on glared at the people around him as if to say ‘did you see it’, but the waiting clients all avoided his eyes, and the employees all wore innocent expressions as if they had no idea.

“Hey. I’m busy having to work right now, so don’t make noise and get lost. If you’re so great, hire a lawyer. There are plenty of other lawyers here.”

At Seong Tae-gyu’s words, Ju Yong-hae wore a benevolent expression.

“Oh. Mr. Tae-gyu. You said it very well. You look like an experienced employee now. Haha.

However, one thing: if they are from the same law office, representation is not allowed due to conflict of interest. Still, you explained it well.”

At Ju Yong-hae’s praise, Seong Tae-gyu laughed sheepishly, scratching his head.

“What kind of things are these? Are they all in their right minds?”

Park Ki-on flared up again.

“Tsk tsk… Why is the guy who did wrong talking so much?”

Lawyer Gil Man-uk, on his way back from the restroom, suddenly chimed in.

“Seeing as you look young… you must have done something very wrong, huh?”

“What? Who are you to butt in!”

Gil Man-uk added another word nonchalantly.

“Me? A lawyer. Normally, the party who did wrong is more anxious. But coming to a lawyer and shouting won’t change a thing.

A lawyer is not someone you look for when it’s urgent. You have to find them before it gets urgent for a way out to open.”

“What? What kind of bullshit is…”

“Hahaha… Swearing is prohibited here, young man. Even though I look like this, I’m at the max level as a lawyer.

Writing a complaint takes me 5 minutes, and if I set my mind to it, I can attach any other charges as much as I want.”

Gil Man-uk grinned chillingly.

“Seeing what you’re doing, you must be the son of some wealthy family. Did your father graduate from Hanguk University by any chance? What is your father’s name? If he graduated from Hanguk University in my generation, we must know each other.”

Park Ki-on was dumbfounded at Lawyer Gil’s words. At the same time, the worry that he might get scolded by his father slowly welled up.

‘What…? Why is everyone here so strange?’

Park Ki-on glared at Lawyer Gil Man-uk and assessed the situation.

In front of him was the giant, muscular Seong Tae-gyu.

The employees with strange gazes. Everyone looked at him indifferently. His usual swearing and arrogance were useless.

Park Ki-on rolled his brain.

They said Geum Nae-yeong isn’t here right now anyway… The calculation that clashing with Geum Nae-yeong here is a loss crossed his mind.

Park Ki-on spat out a word and turned away.

“Fine. An eye for an eye, attorney against attorney! I will make you tremble in fear! Fuck! You all better wait!”

After the school bullying.

Park Ki-on had left to study abroad as if being chased out.

After graduating from a college in the US sloppily and playing around, he returned to Korea at his father’s call.

His father’s power, authority, and money were still the same, and he himself still had power just like before.

No, rather, his body had grown bigger. There was nowhere money, power, and swearing didn’t work.

But something… was strange. To reach Geum Nae-yeong, the wall he had to break through felt strangely high.

He couldn’t tell if the world had changed or Geum Nae-yeong had changed.

It was a change of only 10 years.

***

The next afternoon.

A studio of the EBC Educational Broadcasting Station.

“Quick smoke?”

“Hey, let’s go no-smoking~”

*Rat-tat-tat-tat—rat-tat-tat-tat—*

Following that, guns were fired rapidly inside the game. Exploding score lights.

A teenager in school uniform shrugged.

“Wow, we won this?”

“No-smoking is the ability.”

“I want to do no-smoking too! The emergence of a new species where no-smoking became an ability!”

Before the YouTube live broadcast, a youth anti-smoking campaign video was playing.

“Lawyer, today’s sound equipment might be a bit lacking… Would it be possible to consult the children via live chat?”

“Yes, it is possible.”

Geum Nae-yeong checked the script.

Geum Nae-yeong was appearing on a public institution’s youth anti-smoking and school violence eradication campaign.

“Well, hello youth. We are starting the YouTube live broadcast for youth no-smoking and school violence eradication.”

The students participating in the chat were naturally mostly students who entered because they were forced to as a school assignment, or students who just entered without any thought.

Ningdil: What is this?

Ikjul: They say it’s no-smoking. Let’s watch while having a smoke.

Kkoachu: Oh, the lawyer is appearing?

Naeireum: I heard that lawyer appears here and there lately.

Nyangponchi: Fucking hell, he’s totally plastically deformed lol

Nojaemdosi: If I do plastic surgery, I’ll be handsomer than him.

“We introduce Lawyer Geum Nae-yeong.”

“Yes, hello. I am Lawyer Geum Nae-yeong.”

When he greeted, the chat, which was barely there, began to scroll up rapidly.

Pixie: Oh, he’s kinda good-looking.

Keungkeung: But if you’re a lawyer, how much do you earn? 10 million won a month?

Nyeongeu: He must earn fucking a lot.

Kkwalu: He pretends not to smoke while smoking himself.

jjk: I’d bet he smoked one before the broadcast.

Ppang: That lawyer trimmed his jawline and did nose surgery. Proof of plastic monster.

Geum Nae-yeong read all the rapidly passing chat in an instant. Then, pointing them out one by one, he began to reply to each of them with his characteristic expressionless face.

“It is difficult to measure my salary precisely. However, I think it is at least 10 times more than what you think on average.”

“I have never once smoked a cigarette.

Because if you smoke, the lung cancer rate is 23 times that of non-smokers, and if caught, the survival rate drops sharply depending on the metastasis rate.

If you have surgery for lung cancer, you open the ribs and cut out the lung. In some cases, you have to endure while spitting out blood-mixed phlegm through a hole in your neck. Or the risk of oral and tongue cancer is up to 6 times, and if jawbone/tongue resection is required in the treatment process, serious obstacles may remain in speech/swallowing functions. Smoking is an extremely dangerous act.

And I have not had plastic surgery.”

Chichik: Argh!!!!!!!! Fucking brutal ㄷㄷㄷ

Mikko: What did he just say? The tongue disappears? Is that real?”

Suneungjicheocham: A hole in the neck??

At Geum Nae-yeong’s remarks, the host’s face stiffened.

“Ah… Yes, everyone! First… so, smoking during adolescence is really not allowed… You know, right? Hahaha.”

The PD guarding the camera in front handed over a note.

[It would be better to do it through chat rather than dialogue. Since it’s short-answer style, that seems better.]

“Lawyer, it seems our friends are very interested!

To have a quick conversation today, instead of the screen, please explain the things our friends are curious about or explain youth-related laws through chat.”

Geum Nae-yeong nodded.

A few minor questions passed, and suddenly a problematic ID called ‘Chokbeop’ appeared in the live stream.

Chokbeop: Wow, is the lawyer real? I met the police yesterday, but since I’m a chokbeop, they couldn’t touch me.

Chokbeop: Can the lawyer fight well? Want to go one round?????

Geumugeumu: But what is a chokbeop?

Chokbeop: Hey hey hey hey hey, I said let’s have a real-life fight?

Gaeching: Sigh… Are chokbeop really not punished? Hey, chokbeop, get out, get out.

“Lawyer, you can ignore strange comments.”

Geum Nae-yeong nodded.

Yet he began to explain about the ‘chokbeop’ mentioned in the question.

“First, ‘chokbeop-sonyeon’ refers to a juvenile offender who has not reached the criminal responsibility age of 14.

Since they are judged to lack the capacity to take responsibility for their actions, they cannot be criminally punished.

However, if they are 10 years or older at the time of the crime, they can receive protective disposition. But that is for criminal liability; civil liability does not disappear.”

The ID ‘Chokbeop’ answered right away in the chat.

Chokbeop: Fucking knew all of that. Civil liability goes to the parents anyway, so it has nothing to do with me. Lawyer mister, I said let’s go one round? Why? Think you’ll lose? You can’t even hit me anyway, motherfucker, you must be so annoyed, huh?

‘Hmm…’

Geum Nae-yeong fell deep into thought.

Meanwhile, the provocation of the ID ‘Chokbeop’ continued.

Chokbeop: Coward? Big coward? lol You’re totally scared lol

Geum Nae-yeong stared at the screen for a moment, then searched for a word on his keyboard.

Scared (Jjol): Meaning to be intimidated or unable to hold one’s head high in front of a threat. Example: Are you scared? ( ?= ?)

“Ah. I am not scared.”

The host blocked Geum Nae-yeong’s response.

“Lawyer, you do not have to answer such disruptions.”

Chokbeop: Ayy~ You are scared. If you aren’t, a real-life fight with the chokbeop OK?

Chokbeop: Scared scared scared scared scared scared scared scared scared scared scared scared

Chokbeop: Scared scared scared scared scared scared scared scared scared scared scared scared

As the repeated ‘scared’ flooded the chat room, Geum Nae-yeong, having finished his thoughts, typed with an expressionless face.

Educational Broadcasting GUEST: “8:00 PM. 120 Songjeong-dong, Songnam-gu, Seoul…”

When the address was printed, the chat room exploded.

Jjim: Wow!!! He actually wrote down the address, fun to watch lol

Jeongh: Are the lawyer and the chokbeop fighting?

Chungs: Oh yeah, I’m going right away riding my brother’s fixie lol

Chokbeop: I have a stolen motorcycle. No backing out. If you don’t show up, you’re a coward, OK.

Looking down at the chat room, the host shook his head.