Chapter 21 - 16: Finished Tidying Up, Making Rice Cakes

Sun Hao whipped his head around. The sight of Xu De’s back sent him into a rage. He planted one hand on his hip and pointed at him with the other.

"You! Stop right there!"

"How dare you defy the team’s arrangements? Do you even want to work here anymore?!"

Hearing this, Xu De stopped in his tracks. He turned sideways to meet Sun Hao’s gaze and said calmly,

"The team’s arrangements?"

He chuckled as he spoke.

"Team Leader Sun, I’m handling a criminal homicide case. Surely you haven’t forgotten?"

"Or perhaps we should ask the director to come and settle this?"

Sun Hao was about to explode at the first half of the sentence, but the second half made his face flush red and his confidence waver.

Although the director was his cousin, they weren’t close. He had only gotten his position because his own mother had cornered his cousin in front of relatives during the New Year, forcing him to reluctantly offer a job.

In contrast, the director frequently praised Xu De and was optimistic about his future.

Besides, he really was handling a criminal lawsuit.

If the director found out that he had tried to delay such a high-profile case, one that could affect the firm’s reputation, all so he could go on a blind date...

Forget what would happen to Xu De; Sun Hao, at the very least, would be in deep trouble.

Sun Hao’s eyes shifted, and he tried a veiled threat. "Let me tell you something. Jinmao is the only boutique law firm in all of Lusen City!"

Xu De just smiled and waved his hand dismissively, not a bit concerned.

"Then you might as well have the director fire me, Team Leader Sun. I don’t have time to deal with you."

With that, he turned and walked back to his desk without giving Sun Hao another glance.

He hadn’t planned on staying here long-term anyway. Once the Wang Qiang case was over, he was going to leave and start his own firm. So, in his eyes, Sun Hao’s words...

...were no threat at all.

Completely unfazed, Xu De walked back to his workstation.

Just as he sat down, the lawyer next to him silently gave him a thumbs-up, not saying a word, merely watching Sun Hao as if he were a joke.

"Heh."

Xu De chuckled, paying it no mind. He lowered his head and pulled out some paper and a pen from his drawer.

He stared at the blank sheet of paper, his mind sinking into deep thought.

’What I’m planning to do in the Wang Qiang case is definitely legal.’

’Even if this went all the way to the High Court, those old geezers could tear their hair out and still not be able to call it a crime!’

’It’s just that blurting it out would scare everyone else. What I need to do is...’

’...provide the legal basis and supporting statutes!’

’On top of that, I need to outline the key strategy for the first trial.’

At this thought, a sharp glint flashed in Xu De’s eyes as an idea struck him.

"I’ve got it!"

With that, his hand began to write something on the paper.

...

...

Meanwhile, back in the main hall.

"Damn it!"

Sun Hao was fuming, grinding his teeth in frustration. He stared in the direction Xu De had gone, his expression shifting erratically.

He had long been resentful that his cousin, the director, considered Xu De more capable than him. And now, to be so blatantly ignored...

...it felt like he was being openly mocked.

Especially with the eyes of his colleagues on him, Sun Hao felt like a buffoon, which made him burn with shame and anger.

Until...

BZZT BZZT BZZT~

The buzzing of his phone suddenly vibrated from his chest pocket.

Suppressing his anger, Sun Hao pulled out his phone and glanced at the caller ID: [Lawyer Chen Wei].

"Hello?"

Sun Hao answered the call, casually putting the phone to his ear.

A voice came through the earpiece.

"Haha, Old Sun, how have you been lately?"

"I’ll skip the pleasantries. I’m calling you this time mainly to ask about a lawyer at your firm..."

"This lawyer named Xu De... what’s his story?"

Sun Hao froze. After hearing the question, his brow furrowed.

This kind of covert inquiry... if he was found out, he’d definitely be in deep trouble.

His first instinct was to hang up, but...

’Wait a minute... if Xu De loses that criminal case...’

Sun Hao suddenly paused as an idea popped into his head.

His cousin was always singing Xu De’s praises. That was why he had allowed Xu De to take on a criminal lawsuit in the first place.

In his cousin’s eyes, Xu De was just one case away from proving his ability and taking off.

But, what if Xu De’s performance was disappointing? What if he lost such an important case...?

"Hold on a second."

A gleam flashed in Sun Hao’s eyes. He was tempted.

He glanced around, and after making sure no one was paying attention to him, he covered his phone and headed for the restroom.

Once inside, he took out his phone again and said eagerly,

"Ah, Xu De. Let me tell you all about him, in detail..."

"He’s just a college grad from a few years ago, doesn’t even have a decent track record. He’s stiff and awkward, looks smart but is actually..."

"..."

...

「Inside Yangteng Law Firm.」

Chen Wei sat in his office chair, a fascinating expression on his face as he listened to the voice on the phone.

After a long while, he hung up and turned to look at the two people in front of him.

Sitting before him were none other than Li Youcai and Liu Cui!

Chen Wei smiled at the pair and said,

"I’ve got the information. Turns out he’s just some recent college grad."

"Don’t you worry about the case. I will get justice for Li Erniu!"

"I’ll push for the death penalty!"

Upon hearing this, Li Youcai and Liu Cui’s faces lit up, but they froze the very next second.

’Wait a minute,’ they thought. ’If Wang Qiang gets the death penalty... then how are we going to get our grandson back?’

At this thought, Liu Cui suddenly said to Li Youcai,

"Old man, Wang Mei is still our son’s wife, after all..."

"And that makes us... sort of like in-laws with Wang Qiang."

Hearing this, Li Youcai nodded repeatedly and chimed in,

"Right, right, we’re all in-laws... making things too ugly will just make us a laughingstock."

"Really, as long as we get the child back..."

"...we’re not totally against letting him off the hook."

Hearing her logic validated, Liu Cui said smugly, "From now on, she can serve the two of us."

"After all, our son is gone. It’s her duty to take care of us in our old age!"

Looking at the two of them,

Chen Wei paused for a moment. "So..."

"You mean..."

Li Youcai stuck his chin out, adopting a bullish posture.

"How about... you go talk to that ungrateful bastard’s lawyer?"

"Isn’t there something called a letter of forgiveness? Just make it clear to them. As long as they give us the child, plus agree to support us in our old age,"

"...we’ll be the bigger people and let that Wang Qiang off the hook!"

After a moment of thought, Chen Wei nodded.

"Alright, I’ll give it a try."

...

...

「November 4th.」

「9:30 PM.」

Lin Yue didn’t go to work today. Or rather, her law firm was a family business with only three employees, so going to the office was optional. She had been holed up in the ’Daoist Temple’ all day.

The Daoist Temple was located in the suburbs of Lusen City. Barely anyone ever came to offer incense, so it was quite peaceful.

Right now, she was sitting at the dining table in her pajamas. Across from her was a middle-aged couple—her parents, Lin Guodong and Su Xin, who were dressed plainly.

Lin Yue’s eyes were vacant, her thoughts drifting out the window. Her chopsticks tapped absently against the rice in her bowl.

’Legal? Is it really legal?’

’But no matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem legal... Could he be lying?!’

As a thought suddenly struck her, Lin Yue rapped her chopsticks sharply against her bowl.

It made a sharp CLINK.

The middle-aged couple across from her heard the sound and glanced up at her.

’No, no, there’s no benefit to lying to a client in a court case. He’s not stupid...’

Lin Yue settled down again and resumed poking at her rice.

Her mind had been in turmoil ever since she came home a few days ago.

After all, what that lawyer, Xu De, had said was just... too outrageous!

Legal? What law could possibly make that legal?!

After a long while...

CLINK!

Another sharp clink of her chopsticks against the bowl.

Her parents looked up to see Lin Yue’s brow furrowed once more.

But before long, she was lost in thought again.

After a while, Lin Yue finally spoke, her voice absentminded. "I’m full."

She then got up and walked out.

Watching her departing figure, the middle-aged couple stared at each other in bewilderment. Their gazes then shifted to her bowl.

They looked at the bowl, still half-full of rice that had been poked and prodded by her chopsticks until it was a sticky mush.

Her mother, Su Xin, sank into thought.

’Where did she learn to make rice cakes like that? And she’s been at it for days...’

...

CREAK~

After returning to her room, Lin Yue collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow.

Her mind was still reeling from the words Xu De had said a few days ago!

Even when she tried to sleep, his voice echoed in her head, keeping her awake for nights on end!

Lin Yue felt like her brain was a complete mess, yet she couldn’t stop herself from thinking.

’No, no matter how you think about it, kidnapping a child is obviously illegal, right?!’

’Not to mention the threats. That’s coercion, which is clearly illegal...’

Lin Yue thought with a pained expression as she lay on her stomach.

’No, no, he was so confident. He must have had a reason...’

’Yes... yes... yes...’

’No... no... no...’

’Yes...’

"Ugh, this is so frustrating!"

She thought, taking a deep breath.

"It’s been so long. Why hasn’t he told me yet?"

"Damn it! And they call him a pillar of morality!"

Lin Yue gritted her teeth in frustration.

Then she straddled a pillow and started punching it. The air squeezed from between the cotton fibers let out a series of wheezing "whooshes."

Speak of the devil!

Just as the pillow let out a few ’wails’... a vibration came from her bedside.

BZZZ~

Lin Yue looked up at her phone and saw it was the number for Xu De that she had saved yesterday. He had just sent her a text message.

She tapped it open.

[Xu De: I’m done organizing it.]

[Xu De: Do you want to see?]

Lin Yue paused, then her eyes lit up as she tried to contain her excitement.

Immediately, she spared the pillow’s life, straddling it as she lowered her head to type a reply on her phone.

[Quick, let me see!]

Xu De replied:

[Come to Jinmao Law Firm in Lusen City tomorrow. I’ll be waiting for you here.]

Lin Yue:

[Okay!]

After replying, Lin Yue put down her phone. She could feel her heart pounding with curiosity and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I’d like to see just what basis you think you have."