The Lizard’s Tail

A lizard escapes a critical situation by cutting off its tail because the tail will grow back.
Whatever it is, it must not reach the torso, the heart.
In this organization, many were just tails.
Tails with only a name attached.
Ahn Jeongho quickly turned his gaze to Manager Go.
He was calmly chewing on an appetizer, as if he had already known.
Executive Director Kim poured new liquor into Ahn Jeongho’s still-full glass and spoke again.

“I think this is an opportunity, Manager Ahn.”

Ahn Jeongho wanted to ask back.
If this was truly an opportunity, shouldn’t Executive Director Kim be the one to take it?

“Just a short trip, and you’ll be sitting in an executive position, Manager Ahn. In the meantime, the company will take care of your family. Handsomely, of course.”

For the first time, Ahn Jeongho asked back.
What would happen if he didn’t accept this offer-like coercion?
Executive Director Kim’s expression instantly hardened, and he leaned back arrogantly in his floor chair.

“I thought you were a wise man, having stayed with the company for so long, Manager Ahn. Was I wrong about you?”

Ahn Jeongho stared blankly at the glass shimmering before him.
Executive Director Kim gestured lightly.
The alcohol scratching its way down his throat felt like just that, a scratching sensation; he couldn’t taste anything.

“There’s a restructuring soon. I was trying to help out someone who was going to be laid off anyway… It seems you’re thinking of kicking away your own good fortune. Isn’t that right, Manager Go?”
“The Executive Director is right.”
“Listen, Manager Ahn. You can’t shake a person and not get a speck of dust.”

Ahn Jeongho found himself already on his knees.
He couldn’t feel his numb legs.
A large ball of fire seemed to be lodged in his chest, suffocating him.
Executive Director Kim continued speaking with a smile, as if telling an amusing story.

“Then Manager Ahn’s family will be thrown out onto the streets with that dust. Because their father, their husband, made the wrong choice.”

His hands, resting on his knees, began to tremble.
As a last bit of luck, his hands were hidden by the table.

“Think carefully. There are only two options. Let your wife and children starve, or let them live well-fed, even if they have to be apart from their dad for a little while.”

He called them options.
Although his rank was only a manager, he had been with this company for a considerable time.

“You know the Chairman’s temperament, don’t you? He never reverses his decisions.”

As Executive Director Kim said, Chairman Jo’s personality was anything but easygoing.
Once a person was out of his favor, he would drive them to the edge until they were on their hands and knees, begging at his feet.
Until they begged for death instead.
The reason he could do that was rooted in the very foundation of this company.

‘Because he still uses gangsters like his own limbs.’

Executive Director Kim, who had been leaning back, sat up and reached out, patting Ahn Jeongho’s shoulder as if pressing down on it.

“I trust that Manager Ahn will make a wise choice.”

He couldn’t give any answer, but he knew that his own answer held no meaning for them.
Somehow, he made it back home.

“Oh, Jeongho. You’re here? Why do you smell of alcohol when you don’t even drink… Are you okay?”
“There was a company dinner.”
“Honey… is something wrong?”
“Wrong? It’s the same every day.”

He couldn’t confess honestly to his worried wife.
He spent the night with his eyes wide open and stroked the hair of his sleeping children for a long time.

“Daddy?”
“Yes, Haerin. Go back to sleep. Have a good day later.”
“You too, Daddy…”

Ahn Jeongho tucked his daughters in, said goodbye to his wife, and left the house.
He was gripping the steering wheel with a sigh.

Ding.

A familiar notification sound came from his inner pocket.

[A new video has been uploaded.]

It was a new notification from Cha Yohan’s channel.
He hurriedly searched for Dike’s location and entered it into his navigation.

[Beginning navigation. Estimated time of arrival…]

Right now, this was the only path to survival for him.

From the moment Chairman Jo’s name was mentioned, Won Youngoh and Jeong Donghyeok had been frowning in a way that only I would notice.
A lawyer should not cause confusion for their client.
At first, I also had difficulty distinguishing their subtle facial expressions, but now it was easy.
But the situation was not as easy.

‘Shifting embezzlement onto a subordinate is not uncommon… but if Chairman Jo personally ordered it, there’s definitely something more entangled.’

The offer they had made was also very typical.
People who were asked to bear the cross, like Ahn Jeongho, sometimes sought out law firms.
However, ordinary lawyers take on fights that are profitable.
Not many would readily agree to a fight they know they will lose.
No matter what kind of fight it is, lawyer or not.

‘And large law firms rarely side with the victim over a corporation.’

It was the same when I was at Justice.

“I’ll take this case.”
“Don’t rush into a fight that’s as clear as day.”
“But the evidence for embezzlement and unfair dismissal is clear, we have a chance of winning with this.”
“Do you think I’m saying this because of the win rate? Let’s say you win. Does that mean you’re going to make enemies of all those companies?”

As Hyeon Yeongje had said back then, taking on a case like Ahn Jeongho’s was the same as turning your back on corporations.
When my thoughts reached that point, I was already looking at Won Youngoh.
I knew what kind of cases Won Youngoh took on, but even so, I couldn’t make the decision on my own.
We had an unspoken rule.

‘We take a case when both of us agree.’

Feeling my gaze, Won Youngoh gave a slight nod.

Swoosh.

Won Youngoh stood up from his seat and pointed towards the door.

“It seems like this will be a long conversation. Let’s go down to the cafe and talk over a cup of coffee. There are quite a few people who come back even after their cases are over, saying they can’t forget the taste.”

Won Youngoh made the suggestion to Ahn Jeongho with his unique way of lightening the mood.
I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Ahn Jeongho nod his head in a daze.
For some reason, the name ‘Dike’ resonated with me today.
And also the heart with which Won Youngoh had put up that name.

“I still can’t believe we’ve set up a company, but I didn’t think we’d be using it right away like this.”

Lee Ilwoo muttered quietly with a look of disbelief.
He had become much more expressive since quitting his job as an agent.
It seemed to be because he was freed from oppression.
Because he no longer had to hide anything.
I smiled and nodded.

“The timing was good.”

Chairman Jo was a well-known figure, famous for his violent tendencies and a proportionate number of assault cases in his past.
He had once enjoyed the title of ‘The Man Who Rose to the Top of South Korea with His Fists,’ but that soon became his infamy.

‘He’s always had a complex about being called fundamentally vulgar, even after making all that money.’

Even though his past history had been somewhat blurred after changing the company name to Korea Defense, those who knew remembered its foundation.
For many years, Jo Hyeokjun had formed a private army with the weapons operated by the company, and he employed people who were known for their strength under the pretext of security.

‘I hear he still sometimes uses force for lobbying.’

[A new email has arrived.]
[From: Ahn Jeongho]

I opened the email and recalled our conversation from the morning.

‘Mr. Ahn Jeongho, what did you do about the company?’
‘I took a half-day off in a hurry.’
‘Hmm… Then go back to the company and, for now, tell them you’ll go along with their offer.’
‘What?’
‘Instead, request the embezzlement data. If you say you need to align your stories for the prosecution’s investigation, they’ll give it to you without much suspicion. They’ll probably welcome it.’
‘But Attorney…’
‘It’s okay. They’re confident that you won’t be able to find a lawyer. When you receive the data, please share it with me. We need evidence.’
‘…I’ll trust only you, Attorney.’

Not long after leaving the office with a determined face, Ahn Jeongho had sent a large number of files.

“Looks like they handed it over as if they were waiting for it.”

And for good reason; they were files that anyone could see had been prepared in advance.
I checked them carefully and called him.

“Yes, Mr. Ahn Jeongho. This is Cha Yohan. I received the email. And since we’re dealing with who we’re dealing with, I’m going to assign a bodyguard to you.”
[A bodyguard? Why a bodyguard…]
“It’s better to be careful. Please stay away with your family for a while. I’ll keep in touch.”

Ahn Jeongho said he had gotten the embezzlement data like a trophy and had just left the company after packing his things today.

[As you said, Attorney, I will go to the countryside.]
“Yes, don’t worry.”

While the files I received from Ahn Jeongho were being printed, I called another number.

[You’ve been calling a lot lately.]
“You know the situation too, right, Mr. Im Suho?”
[What, the HanDi embezzlement?]

Just as I thought.
I let out a short laugh and continued.

“Then this will be quick. We don’t know when or how the situation will change, so if they try to track Mr. Ahn Jeongho, please block it.”
[Now I’m even handling Attorney Cha’s personal cases…]
“Didn’t you once say my business was your business?”
[You don’t forget things like that, do you. Your memory is too good for your own good.]

Tap, tap.

I laughed out loud as I organized the printed documents.

“Haha.”
[Don’t laugh. It’s annoying.]
“How could I forget? It’s so useful. And my memory is good to begin with.”
[Haa… I’ve clearly dug my own grave. I was going to contact you anyway. I found something out about HanDi.]
“I’ll be waiting.”

Not long after the call ended, a file arrived on my phone.
It was the same method he had used to send the conversation between Nam Eunsuk and Seok Juho last time.
After checking the new file, I called for Lee Ilwoo.

“Mr. Lee Ilwoo, could you ask the others to come down to the office? There’s something I need to tell them.”
“Yes.”

Chime.

Not long after, seven people, excluding the two who had gone with Ahn Jeongho, arrived at the office.
The office wasn’t that small, but with eleven adults sitting divided between the table and the sofa, it felt full.
Won Youngoh, in front of everyone, posed a question to me.

“Attorney Cha, what’s the plan that you’ve gathered everyone here like this?”
“I believe everyone has been briefed on the current situation.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”

Recalling the data Im Suho had sent me, I spoke again.

“If possible, I’d like to take this opportunity to make it so that Chairman Jo Hyeokjun can no longer wield his power.”

The gazes of those looking at me were all clear.
Their eyes told me they were focused.

“This case is a confrontation between an individual and a corporation. In a way, it’s similar to a person running into a building. The building won’t collapse, but the person will get hurt.”

I continued, to the people across from me who were nodding.

“Even if we save Mr. Ahn Jeongho in this case, similar cases will continue to arise. Because that building will still stand strong.”
“So you’re saying we should just tear down the building altogether?”

Won Youngoh asked back with his arms crossed.

“Yes. Chairman Jo Hyeokjun’s power comes not from his position as chairman, but from his bottomless coffers.”

A private company, and a large corporation’s chairman, are not affected by ‘this kind of’ incident.
Chaebols were the ones who, even if arrested, enjoyed everything they could, resting comfortably in a solitary cell, or suddenly appearing in a wheelchair and holing up in a hospital’s VIP room to recuperate.

“We might win for now. But it will only be for a moment. Mr. Ahn Jeongho will be retaliated against immediately.”
“I think so too. It will only be a momentary victory. What is the picture you’re painting, Attorney Cha?”
“I’m going to give Chairman Jo another prey to distract all the attention.”

I pointed a fingertip at the TV.

Swish.

Everyone’s gaze turned there.

‘I feel like the Pied Piper.’

“That’s…”

Someone’s bewildered mumble scattered.
Because on the muted screen, I was on, having given a news interview in the name of the ‘Bar Association’ a while ago.