Chapter 128 - 88: The Eve of the Trial, Everything is Ready

Lusen Medical University, Department of Forensic Medicine, outside the fifth-floor appraisal center.

A young man who looked like a graduate student was observing Xu De. He thoughtfully stroked his chin and said to the man before him:

"You mean..."

"You want a parentage test report, but you won’t provide personal identification information for either party?"

A look of suspicion crossed his face.

Xu De nodded. "That’s right."

"You want an anonymous test?" the graduate student asked in surprise.

Most people are probably misled by movies and TV shows, thinking that a parentage test can only be done if both parties consent and provide clear information to the institution.

But that’s not actually the case. If you just want a test result, you don’t need the other party’s consent at all.

Of course,

The judicial appraisal department won’t do it for you; they don’t accept anonymous requests.

But you can go through the Medical University’s labs, like research labs, or some private testing channels.

These places take on anonymous tests. They don’t care where the samples they’re testing come from.

Correspondingly, these reports only have a serial number and show you a result. They have no public credibility and can’t be used as evidence in court.

"A mother-daughter test report... I have to warn you beforehand."

The graduate student looked at the contract form in his hand, a look of marvel on his face.

"You can’t take this thing to court. It won’t be accepted as evidence."

Hearing this, Xu De smiled, waved his hand dismissively, and said:

"You don’t need to worry about that."

’How to make the judge accept it... I have my own ways!’

"Alright, the report should be ready in about six days."

The graduate student didn’t press the issue. He could tell the man was well-educated, so there was no need for him to say more.

"Six days? That’s too slow."

Xu De shook his head. "I need it rushed. Three days... The latest I can accept is three days."

The graduate student shook his head.

"Three days is too short. Even an official rush job for judicial appraisal takes two days. We’re just students who go home when classes end. Even if you pay for a rush..."

Before he could finish, Xu De suddenly cut in:

"I’ll pay extra. Three thousand for one test!"

A standard parentage test was only fifteen hundred, and a rush job to get it two days earlier only cost an extra five hundred.

Three thousand... That was three months’ salary for an average person. To spend that on a report with no legal validity was truly a losing proposition.

The graduate student was about to try and dissuade him again, but...

"I’ll have to trouble you."

Xu De, without a change in expression, suddenly slipped an envelope into the other’s hand.

"I’ve already counted it. The amount is correct; I didn’t give you extra."

The graduate student reached out, felt it, and froze.

’This thickness...’

Normally, when they did these experiments, they just got a subsidy, earning just enough to get by. The money for the tests all went to the university.

But... if the client offered a private "labor gratuity"...

Then that portion became their own income!

The graduate student’s expression instantly turned serious.

"Mr. Xu, right? Rest assured, I’ll go get my senior. We’ll absolutely have it done for you within three days. Just leave a phone number, and I’ll call you when it’s ready!"

A smile touched Xu De’s lips.

"Mm, thank you for your trouble."

Then, the graduate student eagerly walked back into the lab.

Watching him go, Xu De sighed internally.

’Money really doesn’t last...’

’I just took out a loan. A round trip from Lusen City to Lianshan County is four thousand kilometers—that’s two thousand gone just for gas...’

’Food, clothes, and lodging, budget another thousand. The parentage test, cross off thirty-five hundred. Renting a car will be another few hundred. And that’s not even counting the law firm’s operating costs...’

Adding up all the expenses from the past half-month...

Of the 120,000 from the loan, nearly ten thousand had vanished in an instant!

This was the full amount of his three-year loan, yet he hadn’t earned a single cent back!

But... these were all necessary upfront expenses.

’It’s worth it. If I win this case, I’ll make at least two hundred thousand in one go. I can pay off the loan and still have eighty thousand left over!’

Xu De took a deep breath, steeling himself.

With that thought, he was about to turn and leave, planning to go back and get a good night’s sleep.

But... he had only half-turned when a voice suddenly startled him.

"Xu De!?"

The voice was a mixture: three parts casualness, three parts confusion, three parts disbelief, and ninety-one parts utter shock!

Xu De whipped his head around.

And saw the figure of Huang Shi appear before him.

Huang Shi asked in shock, "What are you doing here!?"

As he spoke, he hurried over from the end of the hallway, his face a mask of astonishment as he looked at Xu De.

If he remembered correctly, almost a week ago, the other man had...

Hadn’t he said he was going to Lianshan County?

How could he suddenly show up at the Medical University’s appraisal center!?

Seeing who it was, Xu De’s heart jumped. He internally cursed his ’bad luck’ while outwardly flashing a breezy smile. He stopped himself from turning away and said:

"What a coincidence, Prosecutor Huang. What are you doing here?"

"Not a coincidence. I should be the one asking you that."

Huang Shi stood beside him, unable to resist asking.

"How could you be here!?"

A few professors nearby saw this and hesitated, their gazes shifting back and forth between the two men. Finally, one asked tentatively:

"Prosecutor Huang, this is..."

Hearing this, Huang Shi reined in his emotions and replied:

"He’s the lawyer representing the victim’s family in a criminal case we’re handling. His job is to fulfill their requests regarding the lawsuit."

The professor understood immediately.

Their forensic medicine department frequently interacted with the law department, so they naturally knew what that position entailed.

After explaining, Huang Shi turned back to Xu De. He narrowed his eyes, which seemed to turn into a scanning radar, sweeping back and forth over the other man.

After a long moment, he suddenly asked:

"Didn’t you go out of town, Lawyer Xu? Why are you suddenly back in Lusen City?"