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"And then he said, "If we were in Italy, you would've become a fertilizer for the vineyards." I could not believe my ears." Mr. Hong told Ms. Seo and she gasped, slapping a palm over her mouth.
"You really said that?" She smacked my arm and I chuckled at her excited behaviour, nodding my head in confirmation. "Daebak. I wanna say that to someone too!"
"You'll get a lot of chances to say all of that. It's going to be a long fight." I talked as I paced back and forth in the office while Mr. Hong and her sat down at one of the chairs.
"Alright, so what comes next?" She asked impatiently.
"From what I've seen of Babel E&C, they forcibly evict the residents one week after the notice." I said.
"Yes, they always do that." She continued. "They demolish the non-residential areas and instill fear in the remaining residents. It's downright illegal, but Law Firm Wusang has their back."
"Isn't there a law that protects the tenants?" I questioned, sitting beside Ms. Korea on the vacant seat. "I heard they need to pay a premium compensation to the tenants and negotiate the demolition date with an officer. That's what I read."
"You've studied a lot." Mr. Hong smiled at me.
"They were being too ridiculous that I had to read up on it." I replied.
"I see." He nodded. "Those rules exist, but they force the tenants out with a small sum. People get hurt or die too."
I nodded my head in acknowledgement, the metal lighter in my hand opening and closing, making a metallic tingling noise that gave sounded oddly satisfying.
"They'll probably carry out the eviction suit first." She said. "We should get ready."
"Isn't the bigger issue here the forced illegal demolition?" I questioned.
"Yes." Mr. Hong answered. "They'll make a move in a day or two. But there's nothing we can do." He sighed heavily, turning back his chair and retrieving a pack of cigarettes from his table. "Here, you want one?" He asked me, offering me a stick.
"No thanks." I declined.
"Then, why you..." Ms. Seo trailed off, pointing to the lighter in my hand. I shrugged, and she nodded in confusion. "Do you drink?" She questioned.
✧
"Aigo, look at this girl. You shouldn't drink much if you're a lightweight!" Mr. Hong scolded Ms. Korea but she ignored his words, her head down on the table and her eyes closed. "Who's going to take you home now?"
