MWC – Chapter 14 A Trial Test (3)

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

Listening to Jin Taohua’s narration, Lu Ming fell into deep thought.

The glass door of the lounge suddenly swung open, and in hurried Wang Da’an.

“Brother, no matter what conditions they offer, settle this quickly, or the consequences will be severe!” Wang Da’an took a seat beside Lu Ming, speaking urgently in a low voice.

“I found out some details about this case and rushed over immediately!” Wang Da’an’s face was full of helplessness. “How could we provoke that hell-raiser? This is really bad!”

“The town councilor’s son, right?” Lu Ming asked.

According to Jin Taohua, the injured person was the son of a town councilor, named Liu Hanliang.

Whenever Jin Taohua mentioned Liu Hanliang, her face showed a significant amount of fear.

“Yes, that young master Liang is a pedophile and has done countless bad deeds…” Wang Da’an sighed. “His father, Liu Shouye, is not someone to be trifled with. Their family has been running gambling dens here for over two hundred years. The Mingjia Hotel under Mingjia Entertainment is the oldest and largest casino in our Beiguan…”

Lu Ming nodded. Beiguan Town, with a population of hundreds of thousands, elected 57 councilors. These councilors were the notable figures among these people, and being a casino owner and one of the 57 councilors meant having incredible connections. After all, no matter how you look at it, running gambling dens is often frowned upon by the upper class. Being accepted into their circle only meant that he spoke with strength.

And the actual managers of Beiguan Town were these 57 councilors.

Jin Taohua didn’t understand the intricacies; she only knew that councilors were big shots and that ordinary people couldn’t provoke them.

But it was clear that the Liu family was certainly among the most untouchable ones within the councilors.

Wang Da’an continued, “Also, the Liu Hanming Law Firm is the largest firm in Beiguan. Liu Hanming is Liu Hanliang’s cousin. Did you know? His lawyer’s assessment score is already 2697 points. By the end of this year, barring any accidents, he will definitely advance to a fourth-tier lawyer. Do you understand what I mean?”

The fourth tier refers to a senior lawyer. In the legal circle, the tiers are commonly referred to as: junior advocate as first tier, intermediate advocate as second tier, senior advocate as third tier, senior lawyer as fourth tier, special lawyer as fifth tier, and grand lawyer as sixth tier, and so on.

Advancement in tiers is calculated based on assessment points, using a complex formula that includes the wins and losses of direct confrontations between lawyers, which weighs heavily.

In Beiguan, a third-tier lawyer is already top-tier.

Not to mention, he’s about to become a fourth-tier lawyer.

Especially since this guy is probably just in his early thirties, he’s indeed a formidable figure.

Lu Ming looked at Wang Da’an without saying a word.

Wang Da’an became anxious, “He’s incredibly powerful. If he targets you, you’re done for. Even though he disdains taking action himself, he has a team of lawyers. This firm has over a dozen lawyers who will relentlessly challenge you. In less than a year, your assessment score will drop to a negative, and your lawyer’s license will be revoked, understand? Of course, you could refuse to take on any cases and starve.”

At this moment, the glass door was pushed open again, and a young man with a swaggering gait walked in. His face was somewhat pale, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

Lu Ming rubbed his nose. If it weren’t for the other person’s garlic-shaped nose, he might have thought he was looking at himself in the mirror.

Following him was a middle-aged man in a suit, exuding a composed demeanor.

“The pale-faced one is Young Master Liang, Liu Hanliang. The lawyer is Cheng Ye, also a formidable figure, with an assessment score over one hundred…” As he spoke, Wang Da’an had already stood up, smiling obsequiously, “Young Master Liang, Lawyer Cheng.”

Liu Hanliang sat down carelessly, his greedy eyes occasionally glancing at Bess.

“I don’t like the way you’re looking at her. You are being unreasonable!” Pamela frowned, her green eyes glaring at Liu Hanliang and Cheng Ye with an air of superiority.

Liu Hanliang rolled his eyes, wanting to say something but instead let out a grunt and remained silent.

Western noblewomen still commanded some respect, especially since it was rumored that the Liu family had a powerful Westerner in the city’s West District as their backer. The family’s rise to prominence began with their ancestor serving as a bodyguard for a Westerner.

They held a deep-seated reverence for Westerners.

Cheng Ye, however, smiled slightly, “Whether we’re being unreasonable or not, the court will decide!” He glanced around the room, “Mrs. Pamela, Lawyer Wang Da’an, Lawyer Lu Qianxing, Ms. Jin Taohua, hello.”

Lu Ming smiled. Cheng Ye’s greeting was not just polite; it was also a way of showing that they had already thoroughly investigated everyone present.

Cheng Ye produced a document and slid it across the table to Lu Ming.

“Lawyer Lu, you represent Ms. Bess, correct? Then, please review this settlement agreement.”

He then looked at Wang Da’an and said, “Lawyer Wang Da’an, Lawyer Lu is new and might be eager to help his client achieve the best outcome. Could you help him understand that this settlement agreement is in Ms. Bess’s best interest? Also, you might explain the severe consequences of refusing to settle.”

Lu Ming picked up the document and reviewed it. It stated that Liu Hanliang had broken his leg due to Bess’s mistake. However, considering Bess was a minor, Liu Hanliang would not seek compensation, and Bess would only need to care for him at the Liu household until his leg healed.

Lu Ming frowned as he read.

It was clear that this pedophile intended to extend his predatory behavior toward Bess.

Furthermore, their delayed appearance was not only a display of dominance but also a test to see if Pamela, the fallen noblewoman, had any significant resources left.

After all, Liu Hanliang was targeting a Western girl, and he needed to be cautious.

As it turned out, the defense lawyer they faced was Lu Ming, a new immigrant trying to make a name for himself in Beiguan. What was there to fear?

If Pamela wasn’t at her wit’s end, she would have hired a better lawyer than Lu Ming.

Despite this, Liu Hanliang still dared not speak harshly to Pamela, a deep-seated trait of servility.

Even if Pamela stood naked before him, he wouldn’t dare react.

But Bess, the little girl, seemed like a lamb in his eyes, not as intimidating as Pamela.

Wang Da’an leaned over to look at the agreement and frowned. The document’s vile intentions were obvious to anyone with a modicum of intelligence.

Lu Ming casually placed the agreement into his folder, “I represent my client and reject your settlement terms.”

Cheng Ye laughed, “I think you should let Mrs. Pamela see it. After all, she is the mother of the client and your employer. You should follow her instructions.”

Lu Ming shook his head, “I’m afraid if Mrs. Pamela sees it, she might resort to violence, and I’ll end up handling another lawsuit.”

Pamela glanced at Lu Ming, elegantly extended her fair hand to pick up a teacup from the table, and said nothing.

However, Lu Ming noticed her hand trembling slightly. She was deeply concerned for her daughter and undoubtedly frightened, but she wanted to maintain the last vestiges of her noble dignity and not let anyone see through her.

Cheng Ye nodded, “Very well, Mrs. Pamela, since you trust this charlatan lawyer, we will have to settle this in court.”

He pulled a leather envelope from his folder and slid it across the table to Bess. “Ms. Bess, we will see you in court at five o’clock this afternoon. This is the court summons.”

Lu Ming took the envelope, and a lightweight card slipped out—it was indeed a summons from the Ninth Circuit Court of Donghai, which is the Beiguan Court. The summons mentioned that Bess was being sued in a civil case and required to appear at a hearing in the Ninth Circuit Court by 5 PM today.

The hearing court is where the judge reviews the basic evidence from both the prosecution and defense to decide whether to file the case. If the judge rules to file the case, it enters the litigation process, and a jury is selected for the trial.

In a criminal case, the hearing court would use a grand jury to determine if the prosecution has enough evidence to proceed to trial. The grand jury and the trial jury are different people.

The summons for the hearing also named the presiding judge, Feng Xuefan.

Wang Da’an, who had a habit of poking his head in to see, immediately frowned upon seeing Feng Xuefan’s name and looked like he wanted to say something but was stopped by a gesture from Lu Ming.

Even without Wang Da’an’s exaggerated expressions, Lu Ming understood that the other side had prepared everything meticulously, including probably having connections with the judge. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so efficient to schedule a hearing for this afternoon.

“Alright, we’ll see you in court,” Lu Ming said with a smile.

Cheng Ye shook his head with some resignation and looked at Pamela, “Madam, you are putting yourself in a very difficult position.”

“The one who will be embarrassed is you,” Pamela retorted with a cold snort.

…

Although Pamela appeared as proud as ever, when they left the law firm, she fell a few steps behind and walked beside Lu Ming, asking quietly, “Are you planning to put all the blame on the restaurant? From what you and the landlady said, does this mean Bess will be okay? But Bess and the landlady seem very close…”

Lu Ming was momentarily stunned. He turned to look at the sexy blonde with blue eyes. Contrary to her seemingly arrogant and even racially discriminatory demeanor, she had a kind heart and deeply cared for Bess, worrying about her being upset.

Furthermore, despite her early departure from school, her background had endowed her with some knowledge, allowing her to roughly understand the conversation between him and Jin Taohua.

He smiled, “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

Pamela looked at him suspiciously before moving towards Wang Da’an.

Lu Ming knew that clearly, she didn’t trust him and wanted to hear Wang Da’an’s opinion.

“Mr. Lu, I…” came the pleading voice of Jin Taohua, already teary-eyed.

She had been trailing behind, and only when Pamela moved away did she muster the courage to approach Lu Ming. Clearly, she, like Pamela, thought she was going to be sacrificed.

Bess walked timidly beside her, holding her hand as if trying to give her strength.

She then spoke to Lu Ming, “Uncle, can you also help Auntie Jin, please?”

Lu Ming patted her little head, “I told you, from now on, you don’t have to worry. The adults will take care of everything, okay?”

“Okay!” Bess nodded vigorously, feeling a lump in her throat but quickly lowered her head to hold back her tears.

Ahead, they had reached the small plaza in front of the Ninth Circuit Court, just a few steps away from Jiao Niao Building.

The plaza was beautiful, with pine and cypress swaying in the breeze, and a small artificial mountain and fountain adding a touch of coolness. At the base of the court’s green stone steps stood a white marble statue of the Goddess of Justice, Queen Alice. She held a sword and stood with an eagle perched on her left shoulder, exuding an imposing majesty.

Legend has it that this queen, who remained unmarried for life, led Western armies to overthrow the Zhongzhou Dynasty a thousand years ago. Of course, the official imperial documents are vague about these historical events, presenting the empire’s founding as a voluntary union of various ethnic groups.

However, many legends still circulate in the North.