soft persuasion and hard persuasion
The news of Mo Zhichi's resignation spread like a bombshell, quickly spreading through the relevant circles. Everyone was shocked by his decisiveness. No one had expected that Mo Zhichi would actually give up his position as Chief Supervisor Engineer for an ordinary technician. This was completely beyond common sense and calculation.
The most anxious and angry person was Liu Tianyuan.
He had originally thought that by leveraging his power and connections, he could pressure Mo Zhichi and Lan Tongtong to comply and settle his son's matter privately. He never imagined that Mo Zhichi would go against the grain and simply flip the table! Mo Zhichi's departure completely changed the situation.
First, the pressure he exerted on the supervision company instantly lost effectiveness and even backfired. How would the industry view Liu Tianyuan? Had he forced a senior chief supervision engineer to resign in anger just to protect his own son's crimes? If word got out, it would be a fatal blow to his future career.
Secondly, Mo Zhichi was now free from his official duties, and pursuing the matter as a "victim's family member" was even more justified and unrestrained. All the bargaining chips he had previously used to exert pressure and exchange power vanished in an instant.
Liu Tianyuan was completely panicked. He realized that if he didn't get the forgiveness of Mo Zhichi and Lan Tongtong, his son would be finished, and his own future might be ruined as well.
So, on the afternoon of the second day after Mo Zhichi resigned, Liu Tianyuan, accompanied by the general manager of the supervision company, personally knocked on Mo Zhichi's door with a bunch of gifts including expensive cigarettes, alcohol, health products, etc.
It was Mo Xiaochi who opened the door. When she saw the two people standing outside, especially Liu Tianyuan with a smile on his face and a very humble attitude, she was stunned for a moment, and then said unhappily: "What are you doing here?" She hated Liu Tianyuan and his son extremely.
"Miss Xiaochi, we've come specially to visit Mr. Mo... oh no, Mr. Mo and Mr. Lan, to express our apologies." Liu Tianyuan's face was filled with a smile, his tone humble and almost flattering. The general manager beside him also hurriedly smiled.
Mo Xiaochi snorted and reluctantly opened the door.
Mo Zhichi was sitting on the sofa in the living room, reading a newspaper, while Lan Tongtong sat beside him, reading a book. Seeing Liu Tianyuan and the general manager come in, Mo Zhichi put down the newspaper, his face calm, neither surprised nor welcoming. Lan Tongtong subconsciously tensed and put down her book.
"Old Mo! Oh, I'm so... so sorry!" As soon as Liu Tianyuan entered the room, he quickly walked up to Mo Zhichi, bowed slightly, and his face was full of "heartache and indignation". "I didn't raise my son well, and gave birth to such a beast! I caused such great harm to Lan Gong, and also made you suffer! I... I really don't have the face to see you!"
He placed the expensive gift on the coffee table and continued, "This is just a small gift, not a token of respect, but to help Engineer Lan calm down and heal his body. I know that no amount of compensation can make up for the damage he's suffered. But...but please, at my age, and for the sake of my son who has failed so miserably, give him a chance to reform! As long as you're willing to issue a letter of understanding, I, Liu Tianyuan, will accept any conditions I can offer."
The general manager of the supervision company chimed in, "Yes, Lao Mo, Tongtong. Mr. Liu truly acknowledges his mistake this time. Look, he even came to apologize in person. As the saying goes, it's better to resolve a feud than to create one. After all... after all, things haven't reached their worst point yet. If Liu Feng receives the legal punishment he deserves and sincerely repents, wouldn't you consider giving him a chance to start a new life?"
The two of them sang the same tune, with a humble attitude and sincere words, which was completely different from the pressure they had put on the phone before.
Mo Zhichi listened quietly, his face expressionless. Only after they finished speaking did he slowly raise his head, his eyes calmly sweeping over Liu Tianyuan, then glancing at the gifts, and finally landing on Liu Tianyuan's face, which was filled with sincerity.
He was not angry, nor did he accuse others. He just spoke slowly in an extremely calm tone, yet with great force:
"Mr. Liu, we received your apology."
He paused and continued, "But, a letter of understanding, it's impossible."
"The law will give Liu Feng a fair judgment. This cannot be changed by private transactions. As for your gifts," Mo Zhichi pointed to the items beside the coffee table, "please take them back. We don't need them. Tongtong doesn't need compensation, but justice, an environment where he can sleep peacefully and no longer be afraid."
"Please go back."
Mo Zhichi's tone was calm from beginning to end, but beneath that calmness lay unshakable principles and unshakable determination.
Liu Tianyuan's face turned pale in an instant. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but under Mo Zhichi's clear and resolute gaze, all the words were stuck in his throat. He knew that his trip was in vain. This person in front of him was unyielding and unyielding.
In the end, he could only mention the gift in a sullen manner, and left in disgrace with the awkward accompaniment of the general manager.
After Liu Tianyuan's personal apology failed, he clearly didn't give up. Since direct tactics didn't work, he began to attack from a roundabout way, trying to find a breakthrough from other aspects.
That evening, Lan Tongtong had just finished cleaning up the dishes with Mo Xiaochi when her phone rang. Seeing it was a video call from home, she quickly wiped her hands and answered it.
The mother's kind but somewhat sad face appeared on the screen.
"Mom, what's wrong? Is everything okay at home?" Lan Tongtong asked with a smile.
"Tongtong..." My mother's voice hesitated. After a pause, she lowered her voice and said, "Today...today, someone claiming to be Mr. Liu called our house."
Lan Tongtong's heart sank, and the smile on her face froze instantly. "Mr. Liu? Which Mr. Liu?" She already had a bad feeling in her heart.
"It's...it's the father of Liu Feng, the guy who works on your project." His mother's voice was tinged with anxiety. "He said...he said his son was confused for a moment and made a mistake. He's sorry for you. He's willing...willing to compensate our family 300,000 yuan. He hopes we can...can forgive Liu Feng and not take this to court."
Three hundred thousand!
This figure hit Lan Tongtong like a huge rock, making her breathless. For her ordinary working-class family, 300,000 yuan was a huge sum of money, probably the savings that her parents had worked hard for many years to save.
"Mom! What...what did you say?" Lan Tongtong's voice trembled a little.
The mother sighed, her tone filled with the helplessness and entanglement of reality: "Tongtong, Mom knows you've been wronged. That bastard deserves to be cut into pieces! But...but his father has apologized so humbly and is willing to pay the money...Three hundred thousand, Tongtong! With this money, your father's medical debt can be repaid by more than half, and you will have a lot more room for the down payment when you buy a house in the city in the future... Mom heard...you didn't...didn't get hurt? Since there's no actual harm, why don't we just take the money and forget it? If it gets out of hand, it won't be good for your reputation as a girl..."
Lan Tongtong's mother's words pierced her heart like needles. She could tell her mother cared for her, but she was also shaken by the "huge sum" and the traditional idea of "keeping things quiet." She knew the family's financial difficulties. Her father was on constant medication, and her younger brother was still in school. Three hundred thousand yuan was enough to change their situation.
"Mom! It's not about money!" Lan Tongtong's tears welled up, her voice choked with sobs and grievances, "Liu Feng was committing a crime! He tied me up! If Brother Mo hadn't arrived in time, I... I would have... This is not something that can be measured by money! This is justice!"
"Mom knows! Mom knows!" The mother on the other end of the phone was also anxious. "But can justice be eaten? In our family's situation... If you confront him head-on, his father is such a high-ranking official, how can we win? Mom is worried that you will suffer! If you lose the case and get no money, and offend people, how will you stay in the company in the future?"
Her mother's words, though realistic, were like a blunt knife, cutting through Lan Tongtong's persistence. She felt a deep sense of powerlessness and loneliness. Even her closest family members couldn't fully understand her and kept urging her to resign herself to reality.
"Mom... stop talking..." Lan Tongtong's voice trailed off, filled with fatigue. "I have my own ideas about this matter. Don't worry about it, and don't take his money! Not a single cent!"
After hastily hanging up the phone, Lan Tongtong slumped in her chair, tears silently streaming down her face. On one side were her parents' expectations and the pressure of family realities, and on the other, the justice she upheld and the huge sacrifices Mo Ge had made for her... She felt caught in the middle, almost suffocating.
"Sister Tongtong, what's wrong with you?" Mo Xiaochi noticed her abnormality and walked over with concern.
Lan Tongtong shook her head, speechless.
At this time, Mo Zhichi walked out of the study and saw Lan Tongtong with tears streaming down her face. His brows immediately furrowed. "Tongtong, what happened?"
Lan Tongtong raised her tearful eyes and looked at Mo Zhichi's sturdy figure, as if she had found her backbone. She choked up and told him the content of the call from home and her mother's persuasion in a fragmented manner.
Mo Zhichi listened quietly, his expression growing increasingly gloomy. After Lan Tongtong finished speaking, he walked up to her, squatted down, and looked her straight in the eye. His tone was more serious and resolute than ever before:
"Tongtong, look at me."
Lan Tongtong raised her tear-blurred eyes.
"Remember," Mo Zhichi said clearly, enunciating each word, "Fairness is sometimes far more important than money. If you compromise for three hundred thousand today, you're not only giving up justice, but also your future dignity and peace of mind! You'll live in this shadow for the rest of your life! We can earn money slowly, but once your spine is bent, it may never be straightened again!"
He paused, his eyes penetrating. "Think about it, why was Liu Tianyuan willing to pay three hundred thousand? Was it because he felt guilty? No! It's because he was afraid! He was afraid of the law, afraid of public opinion, and even more afraid that his son would have a criminal record and ruin the future of his Liu family! This just proves that we were right to persist! If we retreat now, we'll play into his hands, and all our previous efforts and sacrifices will be in vain!"
"As for your family," Mo Zhichi's tone softened, but remained firm. "Their concerns stem from their love for you and the reality of the situation. I understand. But you must make your own decision on this matter. If you insist, I'll take care of the financial difficulties. Since I've recognized you as my sister, I won't let you and your family suffer. But if you choose to compromise..."
Mo Zhichi didn't say anything else, but his eyes said it all.
Lan Tongtong looked into Mo Zhichi's eyes, filled with strength and justice, and listened to his resounding words. The confusion and hesitation in her heart gradually dissipated. Yes, if she compromised, how could she justify the career Mo had given up? How could she justify the fear and despair she had felt that night?
She wiped away her tears, her eyes becoming firm again: "Brother Mo, I understand. I don't want his money! I want justice!"
Mo Zhichi nodded with satisfaction and patted her shoulder: "Great! This is the Lan Tongtong I know!"
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