Sun Hao turned back, and seeing Xu De walking away, he flew into a rage. He planted one hand on his hip and pointed at him with the other.
"Stop right there!"
"You dare defy the team's arrangements? Do you still want this job!?"
Hearing this, Xu De paused. He turned sideways, met Sun Hao's gaze, and said calmly:
"The team's arrangements?"
As he spoke, he smiled.
"Team Leader Sun, I have a criminal homicide case in my hands right now. You wouldn't happen to be unaware of that, would you?"
"Or should we find the director and let him judge who is right?"
At the first half of the sentence, Sun Hao wanted to explode, but the second half made his face flush red with guilt.
Even though the director was his cousin, they weren't close. He only got this position during the New Year when his mother cornered the director in front of all their relatives, forcing him to reluctantly take Sun Hao in.
In contrast, the director often praised and thought highly of Xu De.
Furthermore, the man truly had an active criminal lawsuit on hand.
If the director found out that he was trying to delay a case that could impact the law firm's reputation just so he could go on a blind date...
Regardless of what happened to Xu De, Sun Hao would be in deep trouble!
Sun Hao's eyes shifted, and he threatened cryptically, "Let me tell you, Jinmao Law Firm is the only boutique firm in all of Greenwood City!"
Xu De smiled and waved his hand, completely unbothered.
"Then Team Leader Sun can have the director fire me. I don't have time to entertain you."
With that, he ignored the man, turned around, and walked toward his workstation.
He hadn't planned on staying here long anyway. Once Wang Qiang's case was finished, he would immediately leave to open his own law firm. Therefore, in his eyes, the other party's words...
Weren't a threat at all.
Without a single ripple in his heart, Xu De arrived at his desk.
Just as he sat down, the lawyer next to him silently gave him a thumbs up without saying a word, merely watching Sun Hao as if looking at a joke.
"Heh."
Xu De chuckled but didn't pay it any mind. Instead, he lowered his head and pulled some paper and pens out of his drawer.
Looking at the blank paper, he fell into deep thought.
For Wang Qiang's case, what he was preparing to do was indeed legal.
Even if the matter escalated to the Supreme Court, those old men could pull their hair out all day and still wouldn't be able to utter the word 'guilty'!
It was just that bringing it up rashly would scare everyone else. What he needed to do was...
Provide the legal statutes to back it up!
In addition, he had to write down the key operations for the first instance.
At that thought, a glint flashed in Xu De's eyes.
"Got it!"
His pen immediately began flying across the paper.
......
......
At the same time.
In the lobby.
"Dammit!"
Sun Hao was exasperated, grinding his teeth in hatred. He watched the direction Xu De had left, his expression shifting uncertainly.
He was already dissatisfied that his cousin believed Xu De was more capable than him, and now being so nakedly ignored...
It felt like a slap to the face.
Especially with the surrounding gazes fixed on him, Sun Hao felt even more like a clown, leaving him angry and humiliated.
Until...
Buzz-buzz-buzz~
His phone suddenly vibrated against his chest.
Suppressing his anger, Sun Hao took it out and checked the caller ID: [Lawyer Chen Wei].
"Hello?"
Sun Hao answered, placing the phone against his ear.
A voice came through the speaker.
"Haha, how have you been lately, Old Sun?"
"I'll skip the pleasantries. The main reason I'm contacting you this time is to ask about a lawyer at your firm..."
"What's the background of that guy named Xu De?"
Sun Hao paused, his brows furrowing.
This kind of private inquiry... if discovered, he would definitely suffer the consequences.
His first instinct was to hang up, but...
'Wait, if Xu De loses that criminal lawsuit...'
An idea popped into Sun Hao's head.
His cousin always thought highly of the guy, which was exactly why he agreed to let Xu De take on a criminal lawsuit.
In his cousin's eyes, Xu De only lacked a case to showcase his abilities before he could soar into the sky!
But, if Xu De's performance was subpar and he lost such an important case...
"Hold on."
Sun Hao's eyes flickered, tempted.
He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before covering his phone and walking toward the restroom.
Once inside, he took the phone back out and said eagerly:
"About Xu De, let me explain slowly. I'll give you the details..."
"He's just a college student who graduated a few years ago. He doesn't even have a decent resume. He's also dull. He looks smart, but actually..."
"......"
......
Inside Yangteng Law Firm.
Chen Wei sat in his office chair. Listening to the voice coming through the phone, an intriguing look filled his eyes.
A long while later, he finally hung up and turned to look at the two people in front of him.
Sitting across from him were none other than Li Youcai and Liu Cui!
Chen Wei looked at them and smiled.
"I found out. He's just a recently graduated college student."
"Don't worry about the case. I will exact bloody vengeance for Li Erniu!"
"We'll push to steer it toward the death penalty!"
Hearing this, Li Youcai and Liu Cui's faces lit up with joy, but a second later, they froze.
Wait, if Wang Qiang received a death sentence with a reprieve... then how would they get their biological grandson back?
At that thought, Liu Cui suddenly said to Li Youcai:
"Old man, Wang Mei is still our son's wife, no matter what..."
"We and Wang Qiang... are technically in-laws."
Li Youcai nodded repeatedly, chiming in:
"Right, right, right, we're all in-laws... if things get too ugly, we'll just become a laughingstock to outsiders."
"Actually, as long as they return the child..."
"It's not like we can't let him off the hook."
Seeing her logic acknowledged, Liu Cui immediately said smugly, "From now on, she can serve the two of us."
"After all, my son is gone. She should be the one to care for us in our old age and give us a proper burial!"
Looking at the two people in front of him, Chen Wei paused slightly. "So..."
"You mean..."
Li Youcai raised his chin, putting on an overbearing posture:
"How about... we talk to that ungrateful wretch's lawyer again?"
"Isn't there that thing called the letter of forgiveness... Just make it clear to them. As long as they are willing to give us the child and provide for us in our old age."
"We'll be the bigger people and let Wang Qiang off the hook!"
Chen Wei thought for a moment and nodded.
"Alright, I'll try."
......
......
November 4th.
9:30 PM.
Lin Yue hadn't gone to work today. Or rather, her law firm was opened by her family, with a total staff of three, so going to the office was optional. As a result, she had been cooped up in the Daoist temple.
The Daoist temple was located in the suburbs of Greenwood City. Since no one usually came to offer incense, it was quite peaceful.
At this moment, she was wearing pajamas and sitting at the dining table. Across from her sat a middle-aged couple, her parents, Lin Guodong and Su Xin, both dressed simply.
Clack... clack...
Lin Yue's eyes were vacant, her thoughts flying out the window to somewhere else. Her chopsticks unconsciously picked at her rice.
'Legal? Is it really legal?'
'But no matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem legal... Could he be lying!?'
Lin Yue suddenly thought of something and forcefully tapped her chopsticks against her bowl.
Instantly, a crisp
clink
rang out.
Hearing this, the two middle-aged people across from her looked up and glanced at her.
'No, no, there's no benefit to lying to a client in a trial case. He's not stupid...'
Lin Yue settled down again and continued picking at her rice.
Since returning home a few days ago, her mind had been restless.
After all, what that lawyer named Xu De had said... was simply too outrageous!
Legal? Under what law!
A long time passed...
Clink!
Another crisp sound of chopsticks hitting the bowl.
Her parents looked up, only to see Lin Yue's brows furrowed together again.
But before long, she fell back into deep thought.
After quite a while, Lin Yue absentmindedly muttered, "I'm full."
She then stood up and walked away.
Watching her departing figure, the two middle-aged people stared at each other with wide eyes. They exchanged a glance before resting their eyes on her bowl.
Looking at the bowl that was only half-eaten, the remaining rice mashed into a sticky paste by her chopsticks...
Her mother, Su Xin, fell into deep thought.
Where did she learn how to pound mochi? And she's been pounding it for several days in a row...
......
Creak~
After returning to her room, Lin Yue collapsed directly onto her bed, burying her face deep into her pillow.
Her mind was still filled with what Xu De had said a few days ago!
Even when she tried to sleep, his voice echoed in her head, disturbing her so much she hadn't slept well for nights!
Lin Yue felt her brain was a bit of a mess right now, yet she subconsciously slipped back into thought.
'No, no matter how you think about it, stealing a child is clearly illegal, right!?'
'Not to mention the threats, that's coercion, very obviously illegal...'
Lying on her bed, Lin Yue agonized over it with a bitter expression.
'No, no, he was so confident, it definitely wasn't empty talk...'
'Right, right, right...'
'No, no, no...'
'Right...'
"Ugh, so annoying."
She took a deep breath.
"Is this guy always this good at keeping people in suspense? Even if you don't have the evidence yet, you could at least tell me your thoughts."
"It's been so long! Why hasn't he told me yet!"
"Dammit, does this still count as a moral role model!?"
Lin Yue gritted her teeth in anger.
Then she straddled her pillow and began beating it up. The air between the cotton fibers was squeezed out, emitting a whimpering
swish-swish
sound.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear!
Just as the pillow 'whimpered' a few times... vaguely, a vibration came from the head of the bed.
Buzz~
Lin Yue looked up at her phone and saw that it was the number she had saved for Xu De yesterday. He had just sent an unread text message.
She opened it.
【Xu De: I've finished organizing it.】
【Xu De: Do you want to see it?】
Lin Yue paused, then her eyes lit up as she suppressed the excitement in her heart.
Legal?
She wanted to see exactly how legal it was!
Lin Yue spared the pillow's life. Still sitting on it, she lowered her head and held her phone to reply.
【Hurry, let me see!】
Xu De replied:
【Come to Jinmao Law Firm in Greenwood City tomorrow. I'll wait for you here.】
Lin Yue:
【Okay!】
After replying to the message, Lin Yue put her phone down. Feeling her heart pounding with curiosity, she raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I'd like to see how you make this legal!"