13. Li Shan
Tang Sizhuo worked from home for more than ten days.
As early as the day after her car was smashed, when the police station had just transferred the case to the criminal investigation department, Lin Feng called and told her to be careful. Unexpectedly, three or four days later, he called again, escalating the warning and telling her not to go out unless necessary. Lin Feng sounded very busy and didn't say much, but Tang Sizhuo could guess that the data on the phone chip had been recovered, and the implications were probably much larger than she had originally anticipated.
The lead attorney didn't have to work, and she went to the office mostly to meet with clients and discuss cases. Staying home didn't have much of an impact, except for the court hearings that had already been scheduled. Tang Sizhuo privately gave Wang Yue a 1,000 yuan subsidy, asking her to drive over to pick him up when she had a court date.
This was very rare for a paralegal who was implicitly obligated to be a driver, so Wang Yue became even more servile and mentioned several times that if Tang Sizhuo felt unsafe living alone, he could call her over at any time.
To be honest, Tang Sizhuo hadn't been sleeping well lately. She'd been afraid of the dark since she was a child, and in recent years, she'd finally gotten used to sleeping with just a nightlight on. But Lin Feng's constant reminders had rekindled her fear of the dark. Now, even with all the lights on, she couldn't stay in any room for long. Only when she was too sleepy to open her eyes could she curl up on the sofa for a few moments, only to wake up again, nervously checking every corner of the house.
However, Tang Sizhu didn't tell anyone about these things. On the one hand, she didn't want others to disturb her, and on the other hand, she didn't know where to start. She was afraid that if she said a few words, the listeners would advise her to see a doctor and hope that modern medicine would cure her incurable heart disease.
I want Zeng Xiasheng to come, I want him to stay here, even if he does nothing and says nothing, as long as he is here, it will be fine.
But Tang Sizhuo clicked on Zeng Xiasheng's page on his phone, then exited it, then clicked on it again, staring blankly at his words, "I'm fine, don't worry," before finally giving up. He had his scars, so it was best not to let him get involved in matters related to the case, the police, and the court.
Two weeks later, Lin Feng finally informed her that Liu Dong had been arrested and asked her to pack up. He had just taken a leave to go back and rest, so he drove over to take her out for dinner as a break.
When it comes to restaurants, Raymond Lam always chooses food stalls, and this time is no exception, it is a barbecue restaurant by the river.
His beard was unshaven and his clothes were wrinkled, showing that he hadn't been home for a few days. Tang Sizhuo thought that this policeman was even sloppier than the maintenance worker, and then he saw him pick up a marker and mark all the way across the menu.
"I'm not hungry." she said quickly.
"I know. I'm hungry. I'm exhausted. Finally, I can take a day off."
The barbecue that was finally served filled the entire table, with only a small bowl of fermented rice balls that Tang Sizhu ordered for himself.
It was only 4:30 in the afternoon, the restaurant had just opened, and they were the only table of customers, so the food was served quickly. After Lin Feng finished twenty skewers of barbecue, he finally recovered and spoke to her in a low voice.
"You've helped us a lot. That Liu Dong is no ordinary person."
"How do you say that?"
"Do you remember when I told you last time that my colleagues were looking for nude photos? They suspected there was an underground forum, but couldn't find it. Finally, they found it in the chip on the phone you sent. Liu is the administrator of that forum. That forum has everything: nude loans, prostitution, and mobbing. It's got everything you can think of, and some you can't."
Tang Sizhuo's expression froze.
Lin Feng didn't pay attention. After taking two big gulps of beer, he started eating the grilled wings again.
"Liu himself likes to do this. A group of them take photos of their sisters, wives, and daughters, and then exchange them online. It's really sick. But he shouldn't be the boss. There are people above him. Let's see how they interrogate him."
Tang Sizhuo rubbed his fingers back and forth on the edge of the bowl for a long time before he asked him softly, "How long has this website been around?"
"I don't know. It looks like it will take three to five years." Lin Feng shrugged. "It's just a lot of similar domain names being used back and forth. It's hard to say whether it will actually last longer."
Tang Sizhuo nodded, his face gradually turning pale. He was stunned for a moment and asked again, "If you have any news, can you tell me?"
"Isn't that what I came to tell you?" Lin Feng was puzzled. "It's confirmed that your client was threatened. We'll check the case file for you after we're done with our work after the New Year."
"That's not what I'm talking about." Tang Sizhuo looked up at him and hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I'm talking about that website. If you have any news, please tell me."
Disclosing such details about the case was certainly against the rules, but Tang Sizhuo had always been sensible and wasn't someone who did things without reason. She must have had her reasons for making such an excessive request. Lin Feng didn't refuse outright. He wanted to ask her why she was asking this, but when he looked up, he suddenly noticed that her lips were pale and her body was trembling slightly.
He understood, "Is it related to Sun's case?"
Tang Sizhuo shook his head, twisting his fingertips together, "I don't know, I don't know, but it may have something to do with me."
Although still confused, seeing her state, Lin Feng didn't dare to provoke her any further. So he nodded and agreed, "According to the regulations, I can't disclose it. But as long as it doesn't violate the principles, I will try my best to help you."
"Okay. Thank you."
After saying this, Tang Sizhuo didn't say anything else. She didn't even look up. She just used a spoon to stir the dumplings in the bowl in circles. However, she didn't really take a bite until Lin Feng had completely finished eating them.
Lin Feng ate quickly, and it was just after five when they paid the bill and left. As soon as they got in the car, Tang Sizhuo's phone rang. It was Wang Yue. She usually communicated via text, only calling for urgent matters. Tang Sizhuo hesitated for a few seconds, then answered.
"Lawyer Tang, do you remember I told you there was a woman who called you? Now she's coming straight over and wants to see you."
Tang Sizhuo was puzzled. "She hasn't even made an appointment with me. What does she want to see?"
"I don't know." Wang Yue said helplessly, "They said they came to consult about the real estate dispute. Maybe it's related to the boss?"
Tang Sizhuo sighed, "Okay, I understand."
There is no way. Jiangming is not like Beijing. The judicial market is so small. Case sources mainly rely on referrals from relatives and friends. Most of the clients are connected through personal connections, and it is very likely that they are partners.
"What's her name? Which conference room is she in? You should leave work at the appointed time. I'll go see her myself."
Tang Sizhuo clicked on the navigation while talking on the phone. Lin Feng agreed and changed the navigation from going to her house to going to the law firm.
Fortunately, she hadn't been out for so long, so it was a rare opportunity to get some fresh air. She had dressed up a bit today, and while it wasn't as elegant as usual, it wasn't considered rude. Tang Sizhuo went to the office and changed into her high heels, then picked up the information registration form Wang Yue had left for her and glanced at it briefly.
The visitor only registered his name, Li Shan, and the type of consultation, and nothing else.
Their law firm rented two floors in the office building. One floor was used for lawyers' offices and was brightly lit. The other floor was used as offices for administrative and financial staff and several meeting rooms, but almost no one was there anymore.
Tang Sizhuo was not in good spirits. He barely managed to walk to the door of the third meeting room. He took a few deep breaths before adjusting his professional smile. He knocked on the door three times and gently pushed it open.
Hearing the noise, the woman sitting at the conference table looked up at her.
The moment their eyes met, Tang Sizhuo's head buzzed.
It’s Xiao Tong.
Xiao Tong leaned against the French window, gazing at her in the afterglow of the setting sun with a motherly loving expression, and asked gently, "Why, don't you recognize your mother?"
Those words wormed their way into Tang Sizhuo's ears like maggots. Her stomach began to ache slightly, and she was even thankful she hadn't eaten much today. She should have thought of it earlier. Besides Xiao Tong, who else would go to such great lengths to come to her door after a month of preparation?
Tang Sizhuo instantly gripped the door handle, then slowly released it, without letting his expression show any emotion. He calmly walked to sit down opposite Xiao Tong.
She knew what Xiao Tong came for. It was indeed a property dispute, and he came to her to sell the villa left by Sun Changming.
Sun Changming had promised Xiao Tong a divorce within two years, but he never kept his promise. It wasn't until Tang Sizhuo was in junior high school that he finally broke up with his ex-wife. Taking advantage of his guilt, Xiao Tong pressured him into expressing his feelings and giving her the villa. Worried that Sun Changming might want it back if they eventually parted ways, Xiao Tong had him "gift" it to his stepdaughter, placing it under Tang Sizhuo's name. After Sun Changming's death, all his property was sold to pay off his debts, with only the villa escaping destruction.
During the ten years she studied and worked in Beijing, Xiao Tong came to her many times, asking her to sell the villa and give him the money, but she had not yet fully understood the case, and Tang Sizhuo disagreed.
Aside from her closest ties, Qiao Shu and Lin Feng, she hadn't told anyone about her resignation and return to Jiang Ming. Yet, Xiao Tong had managed to find the law firm under a pseudonym. It seemed likely that the previous call wasn't about her, but simply to confirm whether "Lawyer Tang Sizhuo" actually worked there.
Tang Sizhuo's face was not in good spirits. He didn't want to say anything polite and just said, "The villa can't be sold."
Xiao Tong's eyes suddenly turned gloomy.
Shortly after Sun Changming's death, she found a matchmaker to arrange for her to get married, but after the marriage she found out that the other party was a fool pretending to be rich. He could only afford some entry-level clothes and bags, let alone jewelry, so she divorced again soon.
Even though the villa was old and had been the site of a murder, it was still a big deal and could easily be sold for around a million yuan. However, Tang Sizhuo not only refused to sell it, but also refused to rent it out. He even sealed the doors and windows, not allowing anyone to enter.
"That's mine!" Xiao Tong suddenly shouted, "It's just your name!"
"Real estate is subject to registration, not to mention the gift agreement."
Seeing that she was out of control, Tang Sizhuo didn't want to argue anymore and stood up to leave, but he heard Xiao Tong behind her, suppressing his increasingly heavy breathing and letting out a light laugh.
She was so familiar with that laugh, like the sharp sound of a bullet piercing the air before it pierces the chamber. A chill ran up her spine, and Tang Sizhu could almost feel her teeth chattering.
She had to get out of here, and get out of here quickly.
However, before he could take a step forward, he heard Xiao Tong's resentful voice.
"You must have had something going on with him that's why you're obsessed with him. Yeah, why didn't I think of that? You even came to me and said your dad took a picture of you—" Xiao Tong let out a creepy hoarse laugh from his chest, "Actually, you're just showing off to me, right?"
His heart thumped twice, and Tang Sizhuo almost couldn't stand due to the pain. His vision was spinning and getting darker.
If she gave in here, this knife would be on her neck forever. Even if she sold the house, the million or so would only last Xiao Tong a few years. What would happen after that? She had asked Tang Sizhuo for money before.
So he dug his nails into his palm fiercely. Tang Sizhuo regained consciousness in the sharp pain, turned around to meet Xiao Tong's gaze, and retorted coldly, "Really? That's because you taught me well."
After saying that, she pushed the door open and walked out, leaving Xiao Tong, who was furious, to curse inside.
The moment the door closed, her consciousness was quickly pulled away. Like a bystander, Tang Sizhuo saw herself walking out of the conference room area step by step, walking to the administrative staff area, finding a colleague who had not yet left work, and telling her not to transfer calls directly to "Lawyer Tang Sizhuo" to Wang Yue in the future, and to refuse all meetings. Then she returned to her workstation, changed her high heels, picked up her handbag, and seemed to have spent the most ordinary day, preparing to go home after get off work.
Can't go back.
A voice echoed in my mind.
Can't go back.
There were drugs at home and she couldn't control herself.
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