A child who looks like me

The investigation into Ham Dae-geun was a headache for the police from the start. He immediately called for a lawyer and kept his mouth shut.

Once a lawyer was involved, it was unclear what strategy he would employ, so Ji-heon needed to act quickly. He requested to meet with Ham Dae-geun as the victim and was granted that opportunity.

“Why are you here…?”

Ham Dae-geun froze when Ji-heon appeared.

“I’m here as the victim.”

“…”

“I’m the victim of the incident caused by you, Ham Dae-geun.”

Sitting close to Ham Dae-geun, Ji-heon casually asked with a barely perceptible smirk, “Did Chan Eun-bi say that I did something terrible to her, or did Chan Eun-yeob say it?”

As expected, Ham Dae-geun turned his head away and did not respond. He looked regretful about what he had said outside the police station.

“Chan Eun-bi and I are not involved at all. That’s something Chan Eun-bi acknowledges, and Chan Eun-yeob knows it too. No matter who it is, you’ve been blindsided, representative.”

Ji-heon presented a document in front of Ham Dae-geun, an old copy of a complaint he had filed.

“This is a copy of the complaint. This is the truth. The Chan siblings have spread so many rumors that I filed this complaint a while ago. Chan Eun-yeob came to ask me to withdraw it on August 12.”

“…”

“And since the online terror against Se-ryeon Group began on August 13, it seems Chan Eun-yeob met with you on the night of the 12th.”

As Ji-heon accurately pointed out the dates, Ham Dae-geun’s eyes widened. Ji-heon could see Ham Dae-geun’s face twitching as he slowly turned his head.

With a calm voice, Ji-heon shared the harsh truth.

“Shall I tell you something?”

“…”

“Chan Eun-yeob will abandon you. If he had been thinking of saving you, he would have already come running. Or at least he would have sent Chan Eun-bi.”

Stirring discord was not just Chan Eun-yeob’s specialty. Jeong Ji-heon was also someone who could exaggerate and lie skillfully to achieve his goals. Although he was confident that everything he was saying now was true.

“The Chan siblings don’t even have that much loyalty. They won’t care about you at all. You are merely a stepping stone for them. Once they’ve risen, they won’t need that stepping stone anymore. While they may need it to safely descend, they won’t think about coming down once they’ve gone up.”

Ham Dae-geun trembled without being able to breathe. Ji-heon’s calm voice and sharp gaze felt like they were tightening around him, piercing him.

He began to think that everything Ji-heon said could be right. He hadn’t heard from Chan Eun-bi at all. Chan Eun-yeob said his sister was unwell, but it was strange not to hear from her even once.

He felt he had done everything he could for them, yet here he was, caught in the police station with nothing to show for it. The thought of his lost money lingered in his mind.

Ham Dae-geun sent the cash from his home safe to Chan Eun-yeob. It was five boxes filled with apples.

Since there was no evidence, it was easy for Chan Eun-yeob to wipe his hands clean of the money.

As Ji-heon’s voice trailed off, the police stood up.

“Then we’ll wrap up the confrontation for now…”

“…He took the money.”

At that moment, Ham Dae-geun spoke up. The police turned to look at him.

“That guy said that Chan Eun-yeob needs 6 billion won to convince the members of the National Assembly…”

Ji-heon, who was about to stand up, paused at Ham Dae-geun’s resignation-laden words.

“Chan Eun-yeob. That guy is truly ruthless. He even studied hypnosis to manipulate clients. I fell victim to him too.”

Hypnosis.

While listening to that desperate statement, Ji-heon suddenly felt a severe headache. As his ears felt clogged and dizziness washed over him, he quickly stood up and exited the room.

He needed to leak information to the reporters and have everything published. That was the only way to stop the confirmation hearing.

“Ji-heon, are you okay?”

As Ji-heon stumbled out the door, Bae-il, standing outside the criminal investigation department, called out to him with a concerned expression.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard? You should rest.”

“No, really, I’m okay. More importantly, Bae-il, I need to talk to you about something.”

Clenching his teeth against the headache, Ji-heon quickly mapped out his next steps in his mind.

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

4 PM.

As the hearing progressed, one of the assembly members brought up Ham Dae-geun.

“I saw a news report during lunch, and I believe we need to address the candidate’s family issues. The recent online terror incident involving Se-ryeon Group is said to be part of a conspiracy. The mastermind behind it was reportedly Ham Dae-geun, the representative of Da-geun Materials, who is about to marry your daughter. Is that true?”

“I know the name Ham Dae-geun, but I don’t know anything else about him. I would consider it an individual’s misconduct.”

Chae Seo-bok spoke into the microphone, relaying the facts. This was the answer he had practiced during lunch.

Since the contact had been made by Eun-yeob, and he had never met Ham Dae-geun, it was entirely true. Chae Seo-bok had also seen the article about Ham Dae-geun’s misconduct but had laughed it off.

“So you’re saying you had no contact with Representative Ham Dae-geun at all?”

“That’s correct.”

Once Chae Seo-bok firmly stated that, the assembly member did not ask any further questions.

The hearing seemed to be nearing its conclusion within an hour or two. The finish line was in sight.

Just as he was feeling relieved in silence, someone looked at their phone and said, “We’ve received breaking news. Everyone should check the news.”

Another assembly member chimed in after confirming the breaking news. “It would be a good idea for the candidate to check it as well.”

No one criticized the opinion, so Chae Seo-bok turned on his phone to check the article. The headline at the top of the portal site made his heart sink.

“Chae Seo-bok, Supreme Court Chief Justice nominee, implicated in corruption allegations. Ham Dae-geun of Da-geun Materials confesses to funding.”

Chae Seo-bok looked up at Eun-yeob. It seemed Eun-yeob, too, was at a loss for words after reading the article.

Eun-yeob, with a flustered expression, hurriedly began typing a text message. Just then, a message popped up on Chae Seo-bok’s phone. It was from Eun-yeob.

– Just say you know nothing about it. There’s no evidence anyway.

After reading the article, one of the assembly members asked, “Candidate Chae, please tell us directly what this is about!”

“I have no knowledge of this at all. I am just as bewildered as anyone else. I have never met Representative Ham Dae-geun…”

“Well, Candidate Chae might say he doesn’t know Ham Dae-geun. But if the arrangements were made through your son without direct contact…”

“I have no knowledge of this at all. I cannot even imagine my son doing such a thing.”

“Candidate, such absolute trust is frightening. The Chief Justice must judge impartially, whether the person in question is a complete stranger or his own son, based on the same legal standards.”

Seizing that opportunity, one assembly member criticized the qualifications of the Chief Justice. Cold sweat formed on the foreheads of both Chae Seo-bok and Chan Eun-yeob.

The assembly member even read aloud from the article.

“Mr. Ham stated, ‘Mr. Chae passed some of the funds he received to someone among the 13 members of the Confirmation Hearing Committee and solicited a smooth confirmation hearing…’ Who is this? Who is sitting here pretending nothing is wrong after accepting a bribe? Who has sullied this sacred National Assembly?”

“This is unprecedented. To have corruption revealed on the very day of the Chief Justice candidate’s confirmation hearing!”

Another member supported the agitated assemblyman.

Amidst the commotion, Chae Seo-bok spoke in a heavy voice.

“I am a person without a single stain upon my conscience. Since becoming a judge, I have believed that my life only has meaning in serving the people. Integrity and honesty are my greatest pride. I swear to heaven! I would stake my life and the integrity of the court on this! The current article is all false reporting. It is all a conspiracy against me. An immediate investigation is necessary.”

Chae Seo-bok’s declaration, pledging his life and the court to his words, once again stirred the assembly into chaos.

“Candidate Chae is betting his life on this. Shouldn’t we believe him? Isn’t it truly suspicious that such an incident occurs on the day of the confirmation hearing?”

“Suspicious or not, we must investigate! Or is it possible that you, Assemblyman Kang, received a bribe? Why are you suddenly defending Candidate Chae?”

“Are you trying to blame someone else out of nowhere? Meanwhile, Assemblyman Yoon, you’ve been silent all day, and now you’re getting agitated right after the article came out. Did you perhaps receive a special order to bring down Candidate Chae?”

“How dare you insult me like that!”