Chapter 4
This Miss Lin came in arrogantly, complaining about their tea and desserts, being incredibly difficult, and having a terrible personality.
I didn't expect his character to be even worse!
A collective gasp erupted around them.
Some employees even secretly took out their phones and pointed them at the farce.
"Wow, that's so exciting!"
"The wife tears apart the mistress, wow!"
"You really can't judge a book by its cover. They're so naive! Tsk tsk tsk!"
"That's so awful!"
"That lady and her best friend are so beautiful! Well done!"
"His wife is so beautiful, how could he cheat on her? Is this guy blind?!"
Hearing the whispers of the law firm employees, Lin Ying's face flushed red. She held her breath for a while before snapping, "You stinky woman! Shut up!"
"Wow! San'er has such a temper, is she pregnant?"
Seeing Lin Ying and Gao Yinxi arguing, Chen Li felt a throbbing pain in his temples. These two were no pushovers; if he let them continue arguing, who knew what uncontrollable things might happen next.
He looked at Li Chi'an from a distance and said, "Can we find a place to have a proper talk?"
"You know my requirements. Whether you agree or not is just a matter of a word. We have nothing else to discuss," Li Chian said coldly.
Despite their bickering, Lin Ying and Gao Yinxi didn't forget to keep an eye on Li Chi'an and Chen Li. Hearing their conversation, she immediately asked alertly, "What are your demands?"
Li Chi'an didn't even glance at Lin Ying, but instead sneered at Chen Li, "Looks like your little lover doesn't know you're taking a bribe..."
What kind of work?
The law firm's employees, who were already perceptive, became even more excited.
"I didn't!" Chen Li hurriedly changed the subject, his tense gaze fixed on Li Chi'an, a mixture of threat and pleading in his eyes. "That money was for investment..."
Li Chi'an scoffed, "Invest in what? Invest in her?"
She pointed at Lin Ying, whose face turned pale and whose legs gave way, causing her to collapse to the ground. "I feel so bad."
Chen Li finally broke down, picking Lin Ying up in his arms, "Are you alright? I'll take you to the hospital..."
"Stop pretending to be a delicate flower, have you been reading too many novels?" Gao Yinxi walked over and kicked Chen Li in the knee, causing Chen Li to fall to his knees unexpectedly.
She looked down at the two adulterers, her eyes as cold as ice. "Remember this day. This is what happens when you cheat."
The situation was completely out of control.
"So powerful!"
"Wow, that's so exciting!"
"The wife's friend is a true friend!"
Just as things were getting heated, Attorney Liu calmly spoke up, "Gentlemen, if you need to discuss divorce matters together, you are welcome to come into my office to talk."
Although Ms. Lin was introduced by Mrs. Lin, standing here and observing for so long was enough for her to understand the main issues of Dr. Chen and Mrs. Chen's divorce from another perspective, and she suddenly had some other thoughts.
Chen Li's face turned red as he glared fiercely at Yin Xi. "Gao Yin Xi, I tolerated you before because we've been friends for many years. If you continue to go this far, don't blame me for turning my back on you."
He felt that she had completely humiliated him today, and he was furious inside, but he couldn't retaliate in front of everyone.
"Oh, you think I'm afraid of you?" Gao Yinxi looked at Chen Li, her contempt obvious. "Let me make it clear, you and I are not friends. Don't lower the quality of my social circle."
Lin Ying glared at Gao Yinxi, wishing she could tear her apart. If she weren't pregnant, she would definitely have fought back. That bitch.
The thought of how she and Chen Li had lost face because of her made her yell angrily, "Attorney Liu, she kicked us, can we file a lawsuit?"
With a brain like that, it's no wonder that despite her status as a rich and beautiful woman, she could only find a scumbag to be her mistress.
Attorney Liu: "..."
In fact, she could file a personal injury lawsuit in court, but she didn't want to become an accomplice in this farce.
In normal interpersonal relationships, silence is tantamount to rejection.
He was a perceptive person; seeing Lawyer Liu's attitude, he should have shut up and quickly found an excuse to leave.
But Ms. Lin was clearly no ordinary person. Seeing that Attorney Liu was not responding to her, she couldn't help but direct her increasingly intense anger at her, "Attorney Liu!"
That cry was extremely sharp, and it was undeniably arrogant.
What can Attorney Liu do?
Even the most demanding guest must be seen off properly. So, a professional, fake smile appeared on the face of a sculpted, high-class elite. "Ms. Lin, if you need to consult on relevant laws, we can schedule a time to talk privately."
Looking around at the chaotic scene, Chen Li lowered his head, took a deep breath, and picked up Lin Ying. "Yingying, you must be tired after being out for so long. Let's find a place to eat something and rest. As for the consultation, we can ask Lawyer Liu online when we get back."
His voice was gentle and considerate, and it has to be said that it provided Lin Ying with a lot of emotional support at this moment, especially in front of Li Chi'an.
"Lili, I'm really tired." Lin Ying wrapped her arms around Chen Li's neck and gently rested her head on his shoulder.
Li Chi'an watched as the two left, and saw the provocative look Lin Yin gave him. He laughed in exasperation.
"Miss Lin, it must be very romantic for two really awful people to be in a relationship, right?"
"You must feel really proud to be being held and protected in Chen Li's arms right now, otherwise you wouldn't be looking at me like that!"
She stepped in her high heels, turned around, and blocked their path. Her clear eyes were fixed on Lin Ying's still smug and arrogant face. "Besides the time I bumped into you in my room, this is the second time we've met. Yet I haven't caused you any trouble. Do you know why? Not to mention our first meeting."
"Because I've always felt that if a woman who's been cheated on only sees the other woman as the problem, then I'm intellectually challenged. So, I've never shown you any hatred or malice. If you hadn't insisted on arrogantly coming to me to provoke me, I would have remained consistent and wouldn't have done anything to you. Because, to me, you're not that important. The only person I resent and hate is Chen Li. I want to get revenge on him. I yearn to take control of my own destiny. I no longer care whether he still loves me or not. I only care whether I can remain rational and plan my future life, whether I can take good care of my son. I've never thought about winning Chen Li back because I don't need him to save me, and you don't beg him to continue taking care of me and my son. But what about you? You've repeatedly provoked me, dragging me into the same subordinate position in a relationship as you."
"You've made me an object of your gaze, a pawn in your jealous rivalry. I don't know how you see me, but your behavior makes it impossible for me to respect you. It's clearly Chen Li who's disloyal, so why are we the ones engaging in this rivalry?"
“Look, now you’re being held in Chen Li’s arms, and it seems that in the balance of love, he has chosen you. If we follow your logic, ‘protecting you is loving you more.’ But have you ever thought that this logic itself is a trap, based on deliberately making people less intelligent?”
"Please, think about it carefully. He's already cheated on his wife. He's probably had countless mistresses, so even if he were chosen, he'd just feel unlucky!"
"He chose you not because he loves you more than me, but because he's unfaithful in relationships. He's definitely not a good man. He's a bad person to begin with, and I feel lucky if we break up. So, you really don't need to provoke me. I don't have the time or energy to play the jealousy game with you. My time is precious, and it's not worth wasting on some scumbag or worthless person."
No one around made a sound, but the eyes of the onlookers suddenly lit up like light bulbs with several watts on.
No one expected things to take such a further turn.
Aaaaaaahhhhh!
This Miss Lin may be a bit stupid, but why does she seem especially stupid today?
Why did you have to provoke someone's wife at a time like this?!
Don't you know what you're made of to rise to this position? In ancient times, you would have been sold off!
But what's with the "so exciting" part?
I thought that the strikingly beautiful woman was already quite alluring, but I never expected that Mrs. Chen, who looks gentle and graceful like a fairy, would be even more captivating!
Shrimp-like and pig-hearted!
What a cultured person! He can insult people without using any vulgar language.
"Don't slander us." After Li Chi'an spoke, Lin Ying's face was like a spilled palette of colors, full of surprises. She couldn't help but say, "You're telling me all this just because you're jealous of me, and you're insecure and guilty."
"Oh wow, it seems like Miss Lin doesn't quite understand," Lawyer Liu thought to himself, raising an eyebrow.
Chen Li's face flushed with embarrassment, and he paused for a moment before saying, "Are you done? If you're done, move aside."
"Ha! Brilliant, Miss Lin, your mother probably didn't eat walnuts when she gave birth to you, right? Don't forget to eat plenty!" Gao Yinxi clapped her hands, walked up to Li Chi'an with a bright smile, looked at Lin Ying and Chen Li with a teasing expression, and said ambiguously, "I've heard that committing evil deeds will greatly diminish your blessings. Don't ruin your chances of having children for a moment of pleasure."
Seeing the terrified expressions on their faces.
Li Chi'an curled his lips, unwilling to argue with her any further. "Xi Xi, let's go in."
She grasped Gao Yinxi's fair wrist and gently pulled her toward Attorney Liu, no longer glancing at Chen Li and Lin Ying.
"Attorney Liu, I'm sorry to have taken up your time."
"It's nothing, it's nothing." Attorney Liu's cheerful tone revealed no hint of displeasure.
Li Chi'an smiled slightly.
...
Inside Attorney Liu's office.
Gao Yinxi and Li Chian spread out a pile of documents in front of them.
“According to Article 657 of the Civil Code, a gift contract is a contract in which the donor gratuitously gives his or her property to the donee, and the donee expresses acceptance of the gift.” Lawyer Liu, dressed in business attire, adjusted his glasses. “Did your mother explicitly express her intention to gift these gold ornaments?”
Li Chian nodded, "Yes, my mother took me, my son, and my father to the jewelry store to order it. The shop assistant can testify to that. And the purchase invoice is in my mother's name."
“That makes things easier.” Attorney Liu noted in his notebook, “The ownership of these gold ornaments belongs to your mother, and her act of gifting them to your son is legally valid. As your son’s guardian, you have the right to keep these items.”
Li Chi'an bit his lip. "But now Chen Li's mother refuses to return some of the gold jewelry. What should we do?"
“Send a lawyer’s letter first,” Attorney Liu said decisively. “If she still doesn’t cooperate, we can file a lawsuit. However…”
She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Considering that you are not yet divorced and the custody of your son is still undetermined, the court may recommend mediation."
Li Chi'an smiled wryly, "Mediation? His grandmother wouldn't listen to that anyway."
“Then be prepared for a lawsuit.” Attorney Liu looked at Li Chi’an with sincerity. “Don’t worry, the law is on your side.”
Because of the argument in the hallway earlier, she now had a very good impression of Mrs. Chen, who was excellent in both appearance and temperament. Especially after hearing about some things between her and Mr. Chen, her voice softened a bit, "We will do our best to protect your legal rights."
“Attorney Liu, I’ve decided to sue.” Her voice was unusually firm. “For those gold ornaments, but even more so for my son. I can’t let him live with such lies.”
...
Qian Song stood in the company's empty showroom, his fingers tracing rows of jeans covered in dust.
The "pure blue" denim brand company, founded two years ago, is now left with only these unsold inventory and four employees waiting for their salaries.
The setting sun outside the office window cast a long shadow of him, just like the heavy mood he was feeling at that moment.
"Mr. Qian, the bank called again." Xiao Kang, the finance manager, pushed open the door, holding a payment reminder. "They said if we can't repay last month's loan this month, they'll initiate legal proceedings."
Qian Song received the notification, and the number on it stung his eyes—340,000.
This number was manageable in the early stages of his business, but now it has become the last straw that broke the camel's back.
"I understand, you can go now." He waved his hand and turned to walk towards the office.
The desk was piled high with unpaid bills and declining sales reports.
His designs and materials are comparable to those of international big brands and fast fashion brands, so why are there so few buyers?
They're all just ignorant idiots.
Qian Song turned on his computer. On the screen was a continuous curve that hadn't fluctuated much since the business started, like a dying snake lying there limply.
His phone suddenly vibrated. He didn't want to answer it and was about to pick it up and turn it off when he saw the contact name on the screen: Sister Li.
A hint of joy flashed in his eyes, and he spoke with slight excitement, "Sister Li."
"Xiao Qian, are you free? I found a nice coffee shop, want to go for a break?" Sister Li's voice was filled with joy and concern.
Qian Song's heart skipped a beat. He remembered the other person's hand that had been on his thigh in the bar last time. "I had just finished what I was doing and was looking for a place to sit down and relax."
Are you at the company?
"Yes, I'm at the company."
"Okay, I'll send the address to your phone. Message me when you get here, I'll be there in half an hour."
"I can't be that fast, Sister Li, it will take at least an hour."
“Sure, no rush.” Sister Li quickly agreed. “Call me when you’re ready to leave. I checked the route, and we should be getting there around the same time.”
"Okay." After hanging up the phone, Qian Song turned around, took out a razor from his desk, and rushed excitedly to the bathroom.
As he passed by the staff office area, he seemed to remember something, and said to the few people sitting there with a stern face, "The dust in the showroom is too thick. Have you forgotten to clean it recently? After you finish what you're doing, go and re-inventory the inventory and clean it before you leave work."
When he spoke, only two of the four employees looked up at him.
After he finished speaking, no one responded immediately.
Qian Song seemed used to his employees not responding much, and continued with a stern face, "The showroom is the face of our company. Whether it's the storage and arrangement or the cleanliness, it must be maintained well. I'm going out to meet a client later. If I see dust in the showroom when I come back tomorrow, I will find the person in charge."
After saying that, he stood there for a while and looked at the employees, then opened the office door and walked out.
Qian Song's clothing brand company is located in a well-known office building in Xianghai City. The office rent here is high. When he started his business, he was attracted by the view and reputation of this building, but he had limited funds and could not afford to rent a large office space. Therefore, the company's office area is in the lobby at the entrance. Further inside are his office and showroom, and on the other side are the meeting room, reception room, and finance office.
This resulted in employees crammed into a small lobby to work, and Qian Song would have to pass through the employees' work area every time he came in or out.
Through the glass door, I saw Qian Song's disappearing figure.
A girl who had been looking down angrily threw down her mouse, saying, "Idiot, we're designers and operations people, not cleaners."
As soon as she finished speaking, someone immediately chimed in with a complaint, "This lousy class, I don't even want to go to it for another day."
"It's already the 19th, and we still haven't received our salaries."
"If he continues to delay paying my wages next month, I'm quitting!"
"..."
Qian Song, now long gone, could not hear the private complaints of his employees.
However, the employees are not afraid of him finding out about their complaints, because everyone knows that this company is not very good. The only reason they are willing to stay is that as long as they come to work, they can get a salary no matter what. It is suitable for lazy people with no ambition or ability.
Besides, Mr. Qian is a person who cares about his image. Although he is not good at business and management, he has some sentimentality and will give employees some benefits during holidays to show his care and encouragement.
Aside from a tendency to delay paying wages and occasionally putting on airs and lecturing, overall they are easy to get along with.
The employees didn't have any demands on him; as long as they paid him on time, he could act like a father however he wanted.
Anyway, whoever pays money is the boss.
But in the past few months, people's tolerance for him has obviously decreased because the company has not paid salaries on time for several months.
Now it's even worse. Not only are their wages not paid on time, but they're also being forced to do work for wages that aren't theirs to begin with. Who else would complain if not them?!
...
“I know an investment manager at Blue Ocean Capital. They’re looking for projects in traditional industries that are undergoing transformation. Would you like to give it a try?” Sister Li put down her spoon and looked at Qian Song with a charming smile.
Qian Song's eyes lit up. "Transformation? Can our company really transform like this?"
"Are you stupid!" Sister Li lowered her voice. "The investment circle now only buys the 'traditional + technology' approach. You make up a story, say you're going to do online customization, smart jeans, blockchain traceability or something, just get the money first."
The sky outside the window is ablaze with colorful clouds, as beautiful as a watercolor painting in shades of pink and blue.
Sister Li has excellent taste. The coffee shop she chose is by the sea, with a panoramic view of the ocean on one side and grasslands and forests on the other. Although it's a weekday, the coffee shop is packed with people, but it's not noisy.
Soothing and elegant music flowed gently, and everyone either spoke softly or listened to the music quietly while working.
Seeing Qian Song's hesitation, Sister Li added, "Perhaps... this is a good opportunity for you."
She had known Qian Song for many years. Although she did not participate in the operation and management of his company, she knew him very well. Moreover, she was also in the clothing industry, so no matter how well Qian Song embellished his situation, she could easily see the predicament of his company.
"I'm giving you this suggestion because I genuinely care about you. Please think it over carefully."
"Sister Li, I really have no experience in financing, so please give me your guidance." Qian Song thought for a few minutes, then picked up the teapot and refilled Ms. Li's cup with tea.
Sister Li knew he was interested. "The investment manager at Blue Ocean Capital graduated from an Ivy League university and is quite well-known in the investment circle. You should first prepare the financing plan. If she is interested in you, she will visit your company in person."
"Would my company be unsuitable?" To be honest, no matter how much you brag, you know your own company best.
Qian Song felt very uneasy when he heard that investors were coming to visit the company.
“The company is a bit small now.” Sister Li not only visited Qian Song’s company, but also owned shares in it. “It needs to be rearranged, especially the showroom. Since it’s going to be combined with artificial intelligence, it can’t be called a showroom anymore. It needs to be given a trendy name. Go back and think about it carefully.”
"And the company's products, we're starting to make smart products now."
"How can we make denim smart?" Qian Song, who comes from a clothing design background, is very familiar with many design styles and fabrics, but he has no idea how to combine intelligence with clothing.
Ms. Li didn't actually understand either, but she would make things up and seek outside help. "Go visit a few well-known artificial intelligence companies, throw the problem at them, and let them come up with a solution for you. You don't understand technology, but they do."
"You're right."
"I happen to know a few heads of tech companies. I'll send you their WeChat contacts later. You can arrange to visit their companies in person and learn more about artificial intelligence."
"Who knows, the company might even get a technology patent or something, wouldn't that be even better?"
Qian Song wasn't very confident about fundraising at first, but after hearing what Sister Li said, he couldn't help but excitedly start imagining things. "I'll go home and make a PowerPoint presentation tonight!"
"No rush. Are you free tonight? If you are, have dinner with me."
"Sister Li, what are you saying?" Qian Song understood the implied meaning. "Dinner is on me tonight. I know there's a really good Thai restaurant that just opened near the Hilton. Would you like to try it?"
The focus isn't on the Thai food, but on the Hilton.
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