Chapter 186: You Wouldn't Want to Be Sentenced, Would You?

“Sun Jianshan, are you coming with us?”

At the main entrance, Lu Jinshan asked, looking at a young lawyer. His tone was somewhat distant, a bit cold.

As soon as he spoke, all seven lawyers turned to look at Sun Jianshan.

Sun Jianshan was about twenty-eight—quite young. He was five-foot-nine, not particularly tall, with a gaunt build, hollow cheeks, upward-slanting eyes, and gold-rimmed glasses.

Hearing this, the lawyer smirked.

“I’ve already been in contact with the Lanhua Law Firm in the provincial capital of Qingwu Province.”

“As for Xu De… ha, I won’t be joining you.”

“Farewell, everyone. Perhaps our paths will cross again. I’m heading to the provincial capital now.”

With that, Sun Jianshan swept his gaze over them one last time before turning to leave.

Everyone had their own thoughts on the matter.

Lu Jinshan lit another cigarette, his eyes narrowing as he watched Sun Jianshan’s departing figure.

‘Lanhua Law Firm…’

It was a big firm.

Back in 2003, a firm with over a hundred lawyers was a rarity!

It boasted a double-digit number of Gold Medal Lawyers, handled cases with international scope, and maintained close partnerships with multiple major corporations. It was safe to say that across all of Qingwu Province, with its population of one hundred million, Lanhua ranked in the top three!

In other words, the firm was extremely prestigious.

However…

“Tsk, what an ungrateful bastard!”

“We only started the process of leaving about half a month ago. Contacting and negotiating with Lanhua Law Firm… that would take a month, at least.”

Someone muttered the curse under their breath.

In other words,

Sun Jianshan had already been secretly colluding with Lanhua Law Firm while still officially employed at their old firm.

He then used the situation with Lu Jinshan and the others as an opportunity to resign smoothly, taking a portion of his cases and connections with him to the provincial capital.

“Disgusting,” someone else couldn’t help but agree.

“Hmph… and he spoke with such a sense of superiority. I really don’t get what’s going on in his head.”

“Alright, let’s go check out Houde Law Firm.”

Lu Jinshan looked away from Sun Jianshan’s retreating figure, not dwelling on it.

‘The most important thing right now is starting our new jobs with Xu De.’

With that in mind, the group reined in their emotions, hailed a few taxis, and headed for the end of Torch Road.

Houde Law Firm’s location was excellent.

It was in the city center’s economic development zone.

It was also close to the political center; the administrative building, courthouse, and prosecutor’s office were all nearby, making travel very convenient.

Of course, the office itself wasn’t very large.

After all, they didn’t have many people, nor did they plan to hire many at the start. Since the firm didn’t need much space, their range of options was much wider.

But even so,

Lin Yue hadn’t skimped on the location she chose. In 2003, the monthly rent was a full five thousand!

That’s right. At a time when the average person’s monthly salary was less than a thousand, the rent alone was five thousand a month. If the firm were slightly larger, it could easily exceed ten thousand, totaling 120,000 a year!

Keep in mind, the retainer Xu De had received for the 18th Middle School case was only two hundred thousand, and that was before taxes.

「At 1:30 in the afternoon.」

A few taxis pulled up at the end of Torch Road, stopping in front of a law firm with a simple yet elegant design.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~

Someone knocked on the firm’s main door.

Lu Jinshan and the other six lawyers stood at the entrance, waiting for someone to answer.

Unfortunately, after several minutes, there was still no response.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~!

Lu Jinshan knocked again, but still, there was nothing.

Slightly surprised, he paused for a moment before pushing the main door open and stepping inside.

CREAK~

The door swung open.

He scanned the lobby; it was empty.

After a moment’s thought, Lu Jinshan took out his cell phone and made a call.

RING… RING… RING…

“Hello? Is this Lawyer Wang?” Lu Jinshan asked.

A voice came from the phone’s speaker.

“Hm? Lawyer Lu, you’ve already sorted out leaving your firm? That was fast.”

“Haha, I didn’t expect it to be this fast either, so I didn’t notify you in advance.”

“I see. Well, Lawyer Lu, please make yourselves comfortable in the waiting area for a bit. I’m at the airport right now, but I’ll head back soon. Please just wait a moment.”

“No rush. Take care of your business.”

Lu Jinshan nodded, hung up, and then led the other six into the waiting room.

As for where Wang Chao was now…

「Lusen City.」

「Nanshan Airport, Arrivals.」

Wang Chao put his phone away. His gaze fell on the arrivals gate, then he looked down, sat on a chair, and started playing a game of Snake on his phone, quietly waiting.

Xu De had told him to pick someone up at the airport and, while he was at it, greet Lu Jinshan’s group. Lu Jinshan, however, had acted faster than expected and was already at the firm.

But the other person had yet to arrive.

Wang Chao waited, bored out of his mind.

Suddenly,

as if sensing something, he stopped playing and looked up toward the gate.

And at the arrivals gate,

a young man in casual clothes was walking through at that exact moment.

He, too, seemed to feel a strange premonition, his senses compelling him to turn his head and look in a certain direction.

His gaze shifted, and their eyes met.

They hadn’t spoken, hadn’t even gestured, but at that moment, both of them knew… they had found the person they were looking for.

‘Casual clothes?’

Wang Chao looked at Qian Hao’s attire, a trace of dissatisfaction showing on his face.

‘He’s a lawyer, starting at a new firm, and he shows up in casual clothes…’

‘This isn’t respectable. It shows a complete lack of professional decorum!’

‘What kind of barbarian is this?’

‘And Xu De made me wait here for *this*?!’

Qian Hao looked at Wang Chao, his mind reviewing the personnel files from last night before locking onto a single line.

‘Wang Chao, male, graduate of a bottom-tier 985 university, cases handled…’

‘Just a regular 985 grad, and none of his cases are even remotely noteworthy… Heh. An ape.’