Bending down to enter the chess game

Chapter 14, Level 1

Despite occupying over 3000 square meters in the prime location of the Golden Gate Building, Hongjiang Law Firm's offices feel somewhat cramped, with nearly two hundred practicing lawyers and dozens of trainee lawyers. Attorney Zhou's office wasn't far from Yu Xingge's workstation, but its usable area was only slightly larger. After receiving the firm's reply, Yu Xingge went to Zhou Yuxuan's office.

"Attorney Zhou," he knocked on the door as usual.

"Come and have some tea. Sit down, don't be so formal."

Zhou Yuxuan beckoned her to the tea table on the side, a blue marble tea table that was practically a replica of the one in Gu Le's house.

Yu Xingge turned around and said, "You and Attorney Gu both seem to enjoy drinking tea. I see that your tea table is the same as Attorney Gu's."

"Haha, how could it be different? Director Gu's tea table was a gift from me; I had it custom-made by a friend at the tea shop." He skillfully rinsed the teaware with boiling water. Nongfu Spring water gurgled into the pot, and as the Maojian tea box was opened, a refreshing aroma of green tea wafted out. "But you're wrong. Director Gu doesn't like tea. He only drinks it to maintain a professional image when meeting clients. Director Gu has a weak stomach; drinking tea not only causes him insomnia but also stomach aches."

He poured Yu Xingge a cup of tea, saying, "But Director Gu's tea skills are top-notch. That's just how he is; if he's going to do something, he'll do it to the best of his ability."

"Really? You and Attorney Gu have such a good relationship," Yu Xingge exclaimed.

Zhou Yuxuan burst into laughter.

After the two had taken their first sip of tea, Zhou Yuxuan got down to business: "You said you came to inquire, is it about my promotional website?"

"Yes." Yu Xingge put down her teacup. "The person involved is named Liang Hui. She's a local resident who received compensation for her land expropriation and is an only child. She agreed to a fake divorce with her husband to avoid debts, and the real estate under her name before the marriage was transferred to him. Her only son has gone missing, and she suspects that he took him away and is hiding him. She's unclear about the gambling debts, but it seems that the debts are owed to a mutual friend. The woman has something on the man, and the whole thing seems like a setup by the man and his friends."

Zhou Yuxuan shook her head: "Suspicion won't work. First, the person involved isn't cooperating, and second, we have no evidence. That's not the point."

"She now wants to hire a lawyer to cancel the sham divorce proceedings, but the cooling-off period for divorce has expired, and the two have already obtained their divorce certificates. I think she has a chance of winning the cases regarding canceling the house gift and changing custody, but as you said, I can't guarantee anything. She saw that the fees were high, so she left right away."

"Oh? Why do you think you have a chance of winning a lawsuit to revoke a property gift?"

"Her first online consultation was on the day we returned from Ruanshui County, which was also the day she received her divorce certificate. I had him sign a supplementary agreement with the man."

She handed over the documents in her hand: "Please take a look."

Zhou Yuxuan opened it and looked at it carefully.

The aroma of green tea filled the small room. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the office windows were largely blocked by the corner of the building, preventing direct sunlight in the sweltering summer heat. The air conditioner blew directly onto the tea table, sending chills down one's spine.

"Have you considered that even if a sham divorce agreement intended to evade debts carries the risk of being invalid, the fact that both parties have completed the registration and formalities at the Civil Affairs Bureau is considered a mutual agreement? What does that divorce agreement registered at the Civil Affairs Bureau say?"

"Here it is." Yu Xingge took out another document and said, "It also clearly states on the document that the ownership of this house is to be given to the man free of charge."

"If the creditor claims rescission of the transfer of property under Section 539."

"That would actually be advantageous to our client, since only a third party can file a lawsuit to revoke the divorce." She composed herself: "However, the identity of this creditor is questionable, and it is very likely that the husband orchestrated this with his friends in order to get a divorce."

"Do you have any evidence?" Zhou Yuxuan shook her head vigorously: "Xingge, I discovered this during the last case. You're not only too soft-hearted, but you also unconditionally believe what the parties involved say. You're just too naive."

Yu Xingge humbly replied, "Please teach me."

"Are you handling cases based entirely on guesswork and assumptions? This agreement you've presented is entirely based on the premise that the client's statements are true and that they are completely innocent. You're gambling with your career! What if there's a real debtor who, before the trial, demands the revocation of the asset transfer? Or what if the court discovers, within the context of your agreement, that these clauses involve malicious collusion to harm the creditor's interests? How will you explain that to the client?" He sighed.

Seeing Yu Xingge remain silent, he assumed she hadn't quite grasped the point: "Of course I know that protecting the legitimate rights and interests of our clients is our primary duty as lawyers. But you also need to learn to discern what kind of monsters and demons these clients are."

"I'm not criticizing you, it's just that your work... sigh."

Yu Xingge quickly stood up: "I know you, Attorney Zhou. Since I joined the firm, you've been teaching and guiding me. I know I haven't had a chance to express my gratitude to you. I've researched many related cases since the day I took on this case. Given the urgency of the situation and knowing that Liang Hui had already obtained a divorce certificate from her husband, I couldn't think of a better way to remedy the fact that the house had been transferred. Neither debt restructuring nor asset trusts would be Liang Hui's options. I suggested she sell the house because I considered that if the creditors demanded the revocation of the property gift, it would allow the client to recover some of her losses."

"That's a lose-lose situation; would the parties involved be happy with that?"

"So what should we do now?"

"Just wait and see. This case is already set in stone, and few other lawyers would dare to take it on." He said, "I suspect that Liang Hui is very likely not to mention the supplementary agreement you provided. Clients like to test lawyers; only by comparing multiple options will she be able to make a decision in her mind."

Liang Hui stamped her foot and walked out of Yucai Building. The straight-line distance from here to her first stop that afternoon, Jinmen Building, was over 20 kilometers. Even with a taxi, changing places several times had left her exhausted. The key issue was that she was supposed to have a date today. Her expensive, impractical high heels were worn down to a tattered state. Indeed, the more beautiful something is, the less practical it is. The clock struck 11, and there wasn't a breath of cool air. Sweat soaked her skirt, emitting an unpleasant body odor. She looked around, momentarily at a loss for where to go.

Restaurants are everywhere on Renmin Road, but they were all closed at this hour. She spotted the KFC logo in the distance, gritted her teeth, and decided to go inside and rest for a while. She ordered a family bucket as a form of revenge, finally having a chance to clear her mind while waiting for her food.

In her senior year of high school, the Dongjiang City Power Plant was relocated to the eastern suburbs of their village, and three neighboring villages were notified of the demolition and resettlement policy. Her parents' house wasn't large, but combined with the ancestral home where her grandparents and uncle lived, they were allocated five apartments: two for her parents, one for her grandparents, and two for her uncle's family. She was their only daughter, and when she got into a junior college, they transferred one of the apartments to her name. The year she graduated, she found a job as a receptionist in an office building near her home, something to have. The salary wasn't high, but it was close to home, stable, and the life was easy; she could spend her free time idly scrolling through her phone. The Jinchen Building was a government-designated IT talent center, and every day it was filled with a line of young, talented people.

She was Lin Xiangsong, whom I met around that time.

Lin Xiangsong, a non-local resident, graduated from Dongjiang University with a degree in mathematics. Young and promising, five years her senior, he possessed maturity, composure, and refinement—exactly the type of man this pampered young woman adored. Liang Hui wasn't ugly; aside from being slightly dark-skinned, her features were flawless. Furthermore, her family had received compensation for their house being demolished, along with other benefits. Her salary wasn't enough to cover her expenses; her parents, working at a power plant, supported her and gave her 10,000 yuan a month for spending money. Liang Hui was determined to win over Lin Xiangsong, even though he had a girlfriend from another city whom he was dating during university.

But who wouldn't want to relax a bit?

Dongjiang City boasts one of the highest GDPs in the country, and the price of her apartment has risen to 4 yuan per square meter. She knows that if her parents pass away, the apartment will also be hers. Owning just two apartments is more than Lin Xiangsong could earn in half a lifetime, not to mention, her parents' savings are also hers. The IT industry is highly competitive, but with Lin Xiangsong's education, finding him a teaching job at a middle school through her uncle's connections would be a piece of cake.

Having her means having a stable job that you'll never lose, a substantial income, a prestigious status, and real estate worth millions. Everyone knows which one to choose.

Lin Xiangsong had always been indifferent to her, but she had already gotten him, so why would she care about anything else?

Oh, she still cares; she knows he dislikes her.

There's a generation gap in spending habits, educational philosophies, and personal knowledge. Most importantly, there's the card-playing habit she picked up from her friends.

She's perfectly fine most of the time, but once she starts playing cards, she loses track of time. She gives all her money to Lin Xiangsong for safekeeping, but she can still ask her parents for gambling funds. Because the stakes aren't high, her parents have covered for her time and time again. When Lin Xiangsong found out, his attitude towards her grew increasingly cold.

Everyone has hobbies, so why can't she have this one? She listens to him on everything else, but on this matter, she doesn't flatter him.

At the beginning of this year, Lin Xiangsong's college friend Cao Tianchuan joined her card-playing buddies. The two of them, along with two of her former card-playing partners, often got together to play. Previously, they had their share of wins and losses, fluctuating around several hundred thousand yuan annually. But Cao Tianchuan, the newcomer, was extremely skilled at card counting. In less than six months, she and her partners had lost over a million yuan to him. She dared not tell Lin Xiangsong or her parents, but coincidentally, her two friends secretly discussed setting up a scheme to make Cao Tianchuan give back all his winnings. She agreed without much hesitation.

Who knew! Who knew that another hundred or so would be lost in just one day! My two friends, on the other hand, managed to recoup a significant portion of their losses.

Asking her to hand over so much cash was out of the question; her parents wouldn't help her and would cut off her financial support. Cao Tianchuan pressured her to pay, threatening to tell Lin Xiangsong if she didn't. Her friend turned her back on her and refused to mention the scheme, pressuring her for a month straight. Left with no other option, she had to tell Lin Xiangsong…

Ugh.

The family bucket meal was ready, and the delicious food briefly pulled her out of her reverie. But soon, the experience of contacting those three or four law firms resurfaced in her mind. Leaving aside the inconsistent fees, the lawyers all seemed to agree with that young woman's assessment. Was that young woman really that capable? Besides, even someone like her, who knew nothing about law firms, could sense the excellence of Hongjiang Law Firm from their brief interactions. After all, the decor, the location, and the fees were all top-notch. They say you get what you pay for, right?

Or should I call that girl again tomorrow? She's probably resting at this hour...