Chapter 31 This is my money! You…
The smell of the medicinal oil still seemed to linger in my nose, and before I knew it, it was the next day.
Xie Tang took the day off and stayed in the rocking chair on the balcony, basking in the sun.
A call from the renovation company brought good news: the renovation of the villa, my childhood home, was completed.
She couldn't wait to drive there, and when she saw that the layout of the space was exactly as she remembered, she settled her payment with satisfaction.
She rushed to the hospital, where the attending physician confirmed that her mother's surgery was scheduled for next Monday.
This was undoubtedly the brightest sunshine in the midst of days of gloom, and Xie Tang held the doctor's hand, thanking him repeatedly.
She wanted to tell Yin Xi immediately, but thinking of Yin Xi's heartbroken state, she silently swallowed her words.
After spending half a day with his mother in the hospital room, Li Zan arrived carrying a bouquet of carnations as he was about to leave.
Xie Tang asked him, "What brings you here?"
“My mom told me to learn from you. I was so bored while you were gone, so I came to visit Auntie.” Li Zan handed the flowers to Xie Tang.
Xie Tang placed the flowers on the table. "Aren't you afraid the teacher will say you're not doing your job properly?"
"Internships don't pay, so it's okay to slack off for a day, right?"
Xie Tang smiled and said, "Mm."
Xie Shuang was very happy to see Li Zan and pulled him aside to talk.
Xie Tang stayed for a while longer, and then the two of them had dinner at a nearby mala tang restaurant.
"Sis, this morning a lawyer named Gu Shun called my mom and asked to meet tomorrow to discuss Mao Lan and Han Shan's case. Who is this guy?" Li Zan asked, slurping his noodles.
“He’s the teacher’s senior, we used to be on the same team.” Xie Tang put down her chopsticks. “What did the teacher say?”
"I agreed. Do you think we can still reconcile?"
Xie Tang said thoughtfully, "It all depends on how much sincerity the other party is willing to show."
"Then all our work on preparing materials for the retrial was for nothing?"
Xie Tang smiled dismissively: "What's the big deal? There will be many more cases like this in the future. It would be best if this case could be settled amicably."
"I don't think Sister Lan is the type to compromise."
"Then Han Shan will have to compromise. There are gains and losses," Xie Tang said calmly.
The next morning, Xie Tang, who was on vacation, received a call from Li Qing, asking her to go to Huasong Building to participate in the final negotiations and witness the results.
So she hitched a ride with Chu Song.
She arrived early, and Chu Song asked her to wait in his office, but she politely declined.
Fu Xiu sat with her on the sofa on the first floor for about ten minutes, waiting for Li Qing, Yang Rui, Mao Lan and Li Zan to arrive.
The group entered the conference hall.
Chu Song sat in the center, while Gu Shun's team sat on the left.
Li Qing stepped forward and gently shook Gu Shun's hand: "Senior brother, it's been a long time."
"It's been a long time. You haven't changed at all, but I've aged quite a bit," Gu Shun said with a smile.
"Senior brother is joking..." Li Qing's gaze fell gently on Gu Shun's face. "You still look as dashing as ever, showing no signs of aging. It is I who have been busy and tired, and I am afraid I have become much more haggard."
After exchanging pleasantries, Li Qing introduced his team.
When Xie Tang was mentioned, Gu Shun's gaze lingered on her for a long time before he finally showed a polite smile.
Xie Tang noticed Gu Chang standing next to Gu Shun and nodded to him.
The resemblance between the father and son is obvious to anyone with eyes.
Gu Chang's gaze was fixed on her without any attempt to look away, his eyes deep and sharp, devoid of any smile.
Chu Song glanced at Gu Chang's gaze, which was fixed on Xie Tang, and felt a strange sense of annoyance rise in his heart. He said to Gu Shun, "Let's begin."
Gu Shun's gaze swept over Mao Lan and landed on Li Qing. He went straight to the point: "Attorney Li, Mr. Han Shan has agreed to increase the settlement amount to 40%, which is already a huge concession. What do you think?"
Before Li Qing could speak, Mao Lan declared firmly, "I disagree."
Gu Shun clearly didn't want to confront Mao Lan directly, but seeing that Li Qing had no intention of responding, he maintained his refined demeanor: "Ms. Mao, you're willing to sit here today, surely you also hope to settle this case amicably?"
Mao Lan detests men who appear refined on the surface but are shrewd on the inside.
She simply ignored Gu Shun, her gaze fixed coldly on Han Shan's face: "You want to reconcile. But I won't give an inch."
“If you want a reconciliation, both sides need to make concessions. If you only want a legal judgment, why sit here and talk? Just wait for the court's ruling. Don't you agree?” Gu Shun persuaded patiently.
Mao Lan forced a smile: "Attorney Gu is right."
“I admire Ms. Mao’s frankness,” Gu Shun laughed loudly, then changed the subject, “Since that’s the case, Mr. Han Shan has already conceded two steps. If you don’t concede an inch, this reconciliation… I’m afraid it will be difficult to continue. What do you think?”
Mao Lan glanced at Xie Tang, received a signal from him, then looked directly at Gu Shun, her voice clear and firm: "I think what Attorney Gu said is wrong."
Gu Shun's previously perfect smile visibly froze for a moment.
“Attorney Gu, how do you know that Ms. Mao Lan didn’t budge an inch?” Li Qing asked.
Gu Shun leaned back in his chair, a faint smile playing on his lips. He didn't look at Li Qing, but instead asked Mao Lan, "Oh, I wonder which step you've taken back?"
Mao Lan looked at Xie Tang.
Xie Tang continued, "Every penny that Mr. Han Shan gave to Yu Liuhua during his marriage with Ms. Mao Lan was considered a squandering of their joint property."
"Furthermore, Mr. Han Shan engaged in acts of transferring and concealing marital property during the divorce proceedings. According to the law, he may receive a smaller share or no share of the property. Ms. Mao Lan's decision not to demand the return of property from Yu Liu, nor to request a smaller or no share from Mr. Han Shan, is already a significant concession."
“To be honest,” Mao Lan turned to Han Shan, who remained silent with a cold expression, “if I really calculated this, I would have taken more than 35 million. I’ve been more than fair to you, so don’t push your luck. If you piss me off again, we’re done talking, let’s see you in court! I’ll fight you to the bitter end, even if it takes three or four years!”
Han Shan's face grew increasingly grim, and he anxiously looked to Gu Shun for support.
Gu Shun did not want the situation to worsen, but Mao Lan, a stubborn and unreasonable person, was really difficult to persuade.
His gaze shifted to Li Qing—this seemingly gentle female lawyer who was actually extremely principled, even obsessive.
“Li Lu…” he tried to find a breakthrough.
“Attorney Gu, I’m sorry,” Li Qing said gently, “I must protect the legitimate rights and interests of my client. In addition, this is a list of litigation costs calculated by our side. Going to court will result in manageable losses for our client, but the reputation, time, and economic costs for Mr. Han Shan and Fenghua Group will probably be an unbearable burden.”
She pushed the documents toward Gu Shun, saying, "I hope Mr. Han will think it over carefully. A settlement is your lowest-cost option."
Gu Shun glanced at the document, his eyes slightly cold, and crossed his arms: "Attorney Li, I understand that it is a lawyer's duty to protect the rights of his clients. But you also know that the outcome of a court case is not solely determined by cost."
“Attorney Gu,” Li Qing smiled faintly, meeting Gu Shun’s gaze calmly, and said in a gentle voice, “cost is one of the core considerations in this case. Our evidence is complete, the legal reasoning is clear, and we are fully confident of winning. As for Mr. Han and Feng Hua, once they go to litigation, the cost in terms of time, money, and reputation will be too high.”
Gu Shun understood that Li Qing's words made sense, but he also understood Han Shan's stubbornness.
He looked at his son Gu Chang with slight annoyance, only to find that Gu Chang's attention was entirely on Xie Tang, and he immediately became displeased: "A-Chang!"
The slightly reproachful call broke the tense silence.
Xie Tang looked at Gu Chang upon hearing the sound, while Chu Song frowned slightly, spinning the pen he was playing with even faster.
Gu Chang then reluctantly shifted his gaze from Xie Tang to his father.
Receiving a wink from Gu Shun, he immediately stood up, whispered something to Han Shan, and then led him out of the conference room.
A brief silence fell over the room.
Before long, Gu Chang and Han Shan returned.
Han Shan stared at Mao Lan, his voice filled with suppressed resentment: "Over the years, haven't I treated you and Tongtong quite well? Do you really have to see me ruined and lose everything before you're satisfied?"
"Ha!" Mao Lan sneered, "Is all of this my fault? Didn't you bring it all on yourself?"
The two had already completely broken off relations and there was no room for sentimentality between them. "Whether you live or die, what does it have to do with me? Either agree to the options and 50% of the profits, or see you in court!"
Chu Song coldly observed the argument, the pen between his fingers almost leaving afterimages.
When his patience ran out, he tapped the table lightly with the cap of his pen.
A soft "click" sound instantly drew everyone's attention.
Chu Song's sharp gaze fell on Han Shan, his tone revealing impatience: "Is it meaningful to waste everyone's precious time for a mere few million?"
The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a compelling weight.
Han Shan was taken aback, his brows furrowed as he tried to explain.
Chu Song didn't give him a chance and continued, "Your value in a year far exceeds this amount of money. Instead of haggling over every penny, you should focus your energy on things that are more valuable. What do you say, Mr. Han?"
Han Shan blushed deeply, overwhelmed by the immense humiliation and the weight of Chu Song's words.
“…Okay, I agree.” He finally managed to utter those words with difficulty.
Gu Shun immediately instructed Gu Chang to draft a settlement agreement on the spot.
Both parties carefully reviewed the terms and confirmed them one by one.
Just as the pen was about to fall, the conference room door was suddenly pushed open!
Yu Liu, who should have been in the detention center, actually barged in with a timid little boy in tow!
"I disagree!" Yu Liu screamed, rushing towards Mao Lan like a madwoman, snatching the agreement from her hand, and tearing it to shreds in front of everyone's astonished gazes!
"This is my money! You can't take it away!"
Han Shan's face instantly turned ashen, feeling as if his face had been ripped off in public. He shouted angrily, "Yu Liu! Stop making a scene here!"
"35 million! You just give it to me like that?" Yu Liu's eyes were bloodshot as she hysterically pointed at Mao Lan, then at her son, "Have you thought about how Xuanxuan and I are going to live?"
Mao Lan watched coldly, as if observing a farce.
Han Shan could no longer bear it and stepped forward to slap Yu Liu hard across the face: "Enough!!!"
The crisp sound of a slap silenced the entire room.
Yu Liu covered her cheek, her eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and twisted rage, her lips trembling violently: "You...you hit me? How dare you hit me in front of so many people!"
A hint of regret flashed across Han Shan's eyes, but his anger remained unquenchable.
He took a deep breath, forcing down his emotions: "Calm down! This money is rightfully Mao Lan's! We can't just renege on it like that! As long as I'm here, we can earn this money back!"
"Earn? How can I earn?" Yu Liu roared, tears mixed with despair. "Make me endure another ten years with you, until I become a haggard old woman like her?"
Mao Lan: This is fucking... They keep calling her an old hag, she's still so young!
Seeing Yu Liu looking like a resentful woman, it seems that being a haggard housewife isn't so bad after all.
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