Chapter 20 - 15: I Want It All

Seeing her expression, Xu De asked in confusion,

"Is that strange?"

"Isn’t it strange?!" Lin Yue’s eye twitched.

She’d studied law for years, but this was the first time in her life she’d ever heard someone put the words ’steal’ and ’legal’ together.

’Those two words... How on earth did he connect them into a single sentence?’

"Lawyer Lin, as a man of the law myself, you actually think I would break the law..."

Xu De took a deep breath. He looked at her seriously and rebuked her without hesitation.

"This is blatant personal discrimination!"

Lin Yue faltered and subconsciously blurted out, "I’m sorry..."

But a second later, she caught herself.

"Wait, I wasn’t wrong! You’re planning to steal a child!"

Xu De said,

"Who told you that stealing a child is necessarily illegal?"

He spoke again to correct her, then paused, raising his head to look behind her.

Just then, two slight figures appeared from the corridor at the corner of the hall and started walking toward them. Seeing this, he began speaking faster.

"Say what you will about me, but I would never do anything illegal."

"Of course, I’ll need your cooperation as the handling attorney. I’ll also need to find someone physically capable to assist. If we can... the case can be closed before the end of the year."

Hearing this, Lin Yue was about to say something else, but the two figures had already reached them and stopped.

"Ms. Wang, Ms. Xu."

Xu De stood up, looking at Wang Mei and Xu Hong, who had returned after finishing the paperwork. A polite smile graced his face.

"Any surprises from the police?"

Earlier, when they arrived at the police station from the courthouse, Xu De had sent them to handle the custody paperwork first. It seemed they had just finished up with the police.

Wang Mei’s face was still impossibly haggard, her features gaunt and bony. Hearing him, she remained silent for a moment before shaking her head.

"No."

She was only now discovering that even though custody had been decided, it didn’t mean she could be reunited with her child immediately.

"Lawyer Xu... right now, I just want to spend a little time with my child before my dad’s trial."

Wang Mei’s tone was laced with bitterness and a profound sense of powerlessness.

She knew that the day Wang Qiang went to trial would be the moment her child left her for good.

Right now, Wang Mei only wanted to have her child for a short time before they were separated... even if it was just for a week, or even a single day!

But... after asking the police, she found that even this wish was an extravagant hope.

The police would only enforce the order long after Li Youcai missed the deadline for compliance.

Until then, if Li Youcai and Liu Cui refused to hand over the child, there was nothing she could do.

Powerless.

It was as if her bones had been removed, leaving her as limp as a pile of ground meat, devoid of any will or spirit.

"Spend a little time?"

Xu De crossed his arms, stroking his chin with one hand, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Actually, I don’t think you need to give up your child because of Mr. Wang."

At his words, Wang Mei felt a sting in her nose and said bitterly,

"Lawyer Xu, that’s my father... He’s in the police station because of me. I can’t give up on my father..."

Hearing this, Xu De was slightly taken aback, but then understanding dawned.

’She probably thinks I’m advising her to give up on Wang Qiang.’

Seeing this, Xu De began to explain,

"Ms. Wang, what I mean is, the child and Mr. Wang..."

"Save them both!"

’I can... save them both?’

Wang Mei froze. She looked up with her face, now just skin and bones, a glimmer of hope showing through the deep lines.

Both she and Xu Hong looked as if they were drowning in despair and had just grasped a single, floating firefly of hope. They held their breath as Wang Mei looked at him, her voice trembling.

"Really?"

The choice between her father and her child was a judgment on her own character that anyone would find difficult to face.

Wang Mei was on the verge of madness. At this point, she was willing to believe him, even if he was lying!

Xu De nodded.

"I have a preliminary solution."

"For today, please go home and get some rest. I’ll go back to the firm, work overtime to draft a detailed implementation plan, and give it to Lawyer Lin in a few days."

Of course, he called it a "plan," but it was really just to reassure them that his methods weren’t "illegal."

’After all, words are just words. No one is willing to risk their own skin by betting on the integrity of a stranger. If you lose that bet, your entire career could collapse!’

’Especially not someone like Lin Yue, with such a bright future ahead of her.’

Xu De understood this.

"Okay... okay!"

Wang Mei’s dry, withered hands gripped his tightly, as if terrified to let go.

Xu De looked up and met her eyes, which spoke volumes.

"I... I believe you..."

Xu De nodded, held her hand, patted the back of it with his other, and then discreetly pulled away.

He then borrowed a pen and paper from a police officer and wrote down his phone number for them.

"This is my contact information. If you have any questions later, feel free to contact me anytime."

"It’s getting late... I’ll be heading back now."

"Don’t worry about Wang Qiang’s case. I will do everything in my power to ensure a satisfactory outcome for you!"

With that said, Xu De bid them farewell and slowly walked out of the police station.

Wang Mei stared in the direction he had left, not snapping out of it until his figure had completely disappeared from view.

She was in a daze.

For the past half-month, she had been tormented by pain day and night. Every time she zoned out, she would come to and find her face streaked with tears she hadn’t even realized she’d shed.

Even Lin Yue could only present her with the harsh reality, which felt like a knife tearing a fresh wound in her heart!

Every single moment, her soul was in agony.

Until now, when Xu De suddenly told her...

Don’t worry!

Those two words were like the last straw for a drowning person to clutch. Though the straw was impossibly fragile, her survival instinct made her grip it tightly, refusing to let go!

"Lawyer Lin... Lawyer Xu, he..."

Wang Mei felt like she was in a dream; it all felt so unreal. She wanted to ask something, but she didn’t know what to ask.

Hearing this, Lin Yue, who was beside her, wore a strange expression. It was clear she didn’t know what to make of the man.

Honestly, she had never met someone who talked so casually about threats and stealing children, even claiming he could "legally steal" and "threaten within regulations"!

’And... he’s so confident. Could it be... that what he’s planning is actually legal and by the book?’

The more Lin Yue thought about it, the more curious she became, until she was practically itching with it.

Finally, she reined in her emotions and said in a soft, comforting voice,

"Don’t worry, he’s probably not lying. After all, he calls himself..."

"The moral paragon of the legal world."

...

...

「4:30 PM.」

A taxi stopped in front of Jinmao Law Firm in Lusen City.

CLICK!

The car door opened.

Xu De got out of the car, pushed open the firm’s door, and strode inside.

As soon as he entered, he ran into his slickly dressed team leader, Sun Hao.

Sun Hao had been looking around the lobby, searching for something.

Hearing the door open, he turned and saw Xu De walking in. His eyes immediately lit up, and a warm smile spread across his face.

"Xu De."

"The team has a few old clients coming in for consultations. Come to the firm early tomor..."

Hearing this, Xu De, still walking, flickered a glance at Sun Hao.

He showed no emotion, didn’t wait for the man to finish speaking, and didn’t even break his stride.

He walked right past him, leaving only two airy words behind.

"No time."

In that instant, Sun Hao’s smile froze on his face as he stared at the empty space where Xu De had just been.