Seventh Year Of Separation chapter 40
Attorney for the Defendant
After returning to North City, Li Zhao took the time to visit Gu Jiahe’s home.
As soon as he entered this time, it was obvious that Gu Jiahe had tidied up deliberately, and there was a new carpet laid in the house.
They sorted out all the evidence together and compiled a list of evidence. By the time they finished, it was almost dark outside.
Li Zhao handed over two documents along the table.
Gu Jiahe opened them and found they were actually litigation representation contracts.
“Sign it, Party A,” Li Zhao said, looking at him with his hands in his pockets, “This way, we’ll have a legitimate cooperation relationship.”
Only then did Gu Jiahe realize that lawyers cannot take cases directly outside of their law firm. He had been so busy that he almost forgot about this most important thing.
However, when Gu Jiahe flipped to the second page, he almost choked on the figure marked under the fee section, which was close to the bottom line of the lawyer fee standard. Gu Jiahe naturally knew that they wouldn’t disclose such prices externally; it was almost the same price as the local small law firms outside.
“With this price, won’t Qin Par haggle with you?” Gu Jiahe asked, raising his head.
Li Zhao raised an eyebrow, “After making her so much money over the years, do you think she would care about such a small matter?”
“Really?” Gu Jiahe was still worried, afraid that this matter would cause trouble for Li Zhao’s work.
Li Zhao smiled, “Don’t worry, I’ve talked to her. It’s just a small case.”
“Did you tell her I’m the client?”
“Yeah,” Li Zhao nodded.
Gu Jiahe’s mind was momentarily tangled, finding it hard to understand. Just a few weeks ago, he had told Qin Yi that he had conflicts with Li Zhao before. Now, he had become Li Zhao’s client.
As if afraid that Gu Jiahe wouldn’t believe him, Li Zhao added, “She knows about us.”
Gu Jiahe couldn’t help but tremble slightly, “How could she know?”
Li Zhao couldn’t help but laugh, “Do you think she’s been your partner for so many years for nothing? She figured it out the first time you sent flowers to the law firm.”
Gu Jiahe just wanted to dig a hole and bury himself. Qin Yi would still have to come to the company for the IPO project meetings, and he really couldn’t face her.
He picked up a black pen and signed his name on the last page of the contract, then pushed it to Li Zhao.
Seeing Gu Jiahe sign the document, Li Zhao opened his laptop, “Take a look at the pleading and the representation.”
Gu Jiahe glanced at the densely packed words, “How come you’re already working on it before signing the contract? Aren’t you afraid that Party A will take your service and run?”
“I don’t think Party A is that unscrupulous.”
Gu Jiahe dragged a chair and sat behind him. Seeing him earnestly opening the documents and explaining them one by one, he couldn’t help but smile.
“What are you laughing at?” Li Zhao turned to look at him.
“Ge, you’re doing great. I’ll tip you next time.”
Li Zhao glanced at him sideways.
“It’s very detailed. Don’t worry, if he has any other tricks in court, I can debate with him myself.” Gu Jiahe patted Li Zhao’s shoulder, “Let’s go, I’ll treat you to something delicious.”
Five minutes later, the two left together. It was terribly cold outside, with bone-chilling winds. Gu Jiahe walked ahead, but eventually, feeling the headache from the cold wind blowing on his head, he found the nearest hotpot restaurant.
After they were seated, Gu Jiahe’s eyes narrowed as he rubbed his freezing cold cheeks, “Just make do with this. When I get rich, I’ll treat you to a Michelin-star meal.”
Li Zhao glanced at him, “That’ll be in the distant future.”
“Hey, can’t you wish me well? As soon as we’re out, I’ll buy a sports lottery ticket.”
“You? Sports lottery? Forget it, you never got a single match right when we watched games before,” Li Zhao retorted.
“Childish.” Gu Jiahe didn’t want to argue with him anymore and started ordering from the menu.
Soon, the hotpot base was brought over. Gu Jiahe always ordered the “yuanyang” hotpot, but never the clear broth.
The copper stove soon emitted wisps of white smoke. Li Zhao looked at Gu Jiahe’s face through the smoke. He had rushed out without fixing a tuft of hair, looking a bit ridiculous.
Li Zhao couldn’t help but chuckle.
“What are you laughing at?”
“What’s the difference between you now and ten years ago?” Li Zhao said softly.
Gu Jiahe looked up at him, thinking to himself, hmph, the difference is huge.
Soon, North City entered the coldest season. The temperature dropped to minus ten degrees Celsius.
The trees on the road seemed to have frozen brittle, making rustling sounds when the wind blew. There were also a few snowfalls during this period. Gu Jiahe walked to work through the snowy streets every day, so he specially bought a pair of waterproof boots.
The roads were salted by the municipal government, preventing thick ice from forming.
On the day of the trial, Li Zhao drove to Gu Jiahe’s building and sent him a WeChat message.
Two minutes later, Gu Jiahe ran downstairs and got into the car. He turned his head and found Li Zhao wearing a black suit jacket.
“Aren’t you cold?” Gu Jiahe looked down at himself; he was practically bundled up.
Li Zhao shook his head and stepped on the gas, driving onto the main road.
Upon arriving at the courthouse, Gu Jiahe stood in the corridor, leaning against the glass window. The sun outside had risen high into the sky, but the winter sunlight had color without warmth. It shone through the glass, sprinkling on the floor in front of him, casting a shadow.
Li Zhao had just gone to the restroom and walked out two minutes later.
Gu Jiahe saw his shadow and looked up. Li Zhao had already changed into his lawyer’s robe. The sunlight reflected off the black lawyer’s robe, giving it a golden edge. Gu Jiahe couldn’t help but look at him for a few more seconds.
When Gu Jiahe and Li Zhao entered the courtroom and took their seats, Gu Jianmin had already arrived.
He had forgotten how many years it had been since he last saw Gu Jianmin, and he hadn’t expected to meet him again in court.
Gu Jianmin indeed looked a bit older, wearing an old dark blue suit, and even seemed a bit shorter than before.
Gu Jiahe sat behind the table, three meters away from him, and looked straight at him. Gu Jianmin looked back and actually smirked, revealing a sinister smile.
Sitting next to Gu Jiahe, Li Zhao felt the gaze of Gu Jianmin. He gently held Gu Jiahe’s hand under the table.
Gu Jiahe’s heart trembled, and he looked up at him. Li Zhao gave him a firm look.
Five minutes later, the panel of judges was in place, and the presiding judge announced the opening of the trial.
The presiding judge began by confirming the information of the legal representatives one by one: “Defense counsel.”
Li Zhao stood up from his chair: “Good morning, Your Honor. I am the defense counsel, Li Zhao from Tianhe Law Firm.”
Upon hearing Li Zhao’s name, Gu Jianmin suddenly raised his head and stared at his face intently. Li Zhao’s gaze was calm as he looked back at him.
After the opening procedure, the judge asked the plaintiff to state the facts, claims, and reasons for the lawsuit.
The opposing lawyer stood up, took the prepared materials, and began to recite: “Our client, Gu Jianmin, played an important role in the upbringing of the defendant, Gu Jiahe, supporting him through high school and successfully getting him into college…”
Gu Jiahe sat opposite, feeling uncomfortable listening to it. He forced himself not to look at Gu Jianmin’s face.
Gu Jiahe had imagined the scene of the trial many times, but he still couldn’t dispel the physiological disgust at this moment. These words seemed to strip him naked and then whip his body vigorously with a cane.
“…Therefore, we request that the defendant return the insurance money and pay our client’s support fees for the past two years.”
After the opposing lawyer finished speaking, the presiding judge signaled to Li Zhao.
“Defense counsel, begin your defense.”
Gu Jiahe turned his head to look at Li Zhao, who seemed calm and unruffled.
“Your Honor, we believe that the statements made by the plaintiff’s counsel are untrue. The plaintiff, Gu Jianmin, seriously neglected his duties in the upbringing of our client and engaged in abusive behavior. The evidence we have submitted includes relevant medical certificates and audio-video recordings. Of particular note is that in 2008, the plaintiff voluntarily waived the custody of our client, who was not yet 18 years old at the time, which violated Article 21 of the Marriage Law.”
“Therefore, we believe that the plaintiff’s claim to recover our client’s legally acquired insurance money is an unreasonable request. Furthermore, the support fees demanded exceed the level that our client can afford.”
The panel had been reviewing the documents all along, and apart from that, there was little noise. After Li Zhao sat down, he observed for a moment.
The presiding judge gestured to the opposing lawyer to present evidence.
Gu Jiahe rubbed his hand nervously.
“It’s okay, I know their evidence catalog, it’s not that strong,” Li Zhao reassured, patting Gu Jiahe’s hand. Their evidence was just some receipts for tuition fees and the like. They couldn’t produce anything else.
Gu Jiahe sat up straight, and then heard the opposing lawyer pause for a few seconds after presenting the evidence submitted before the court.
The lawyer signaled to the presiding judge and then raised his tone slightly: “Your Honor, we have further evidence to submit in court.”
Gu Jiahe subconsciously glanced at Li Zhao. Li Zhao also frowned.
Litigation lawyers hated it the most when the other side brought in evidence unexpectedly, not giving the other side time to react.
“In January 2012, our client’s physical condition was extremely poor, and he sought help from the defendant, but was repeatedly refused. Therefore, we believe that the defendant subjectively refused to bear the support obligation. Here are the call records and recordings and medical records from that time.”
The opposing lawyer raised an eyebrow and looked at Gu Jiahe before submitting the evidence to the court.
For a moment, Gu Jiahe’s scalp tingled. He couldn’t remember what this was about, when was Gu Jianmin in poor health in 2012? Clearly, it was he who came to North City and beat himself up on the street.
It wasn’t until the phone recordings were played that Gu Jiahe realized that Gu Jianmin had recorded those few calls before coming to North City.
After reviewing the evidence, the presiding judge looked at Li Zhao: “Counsel for the defendant, do you have any objections to this evidence?”
Gu Jiahe thought that Li Zhao didn’t know the ins and outs of this matter and wanted to stand up and argue with him. However, Li Zhao stood up first.
“Your Honor, we have a different opinion on this evidence.”
Li Zhao lowered his head to organize his thoughts for a moment before raising it again. “First of all, we do not acknowledge the authenticity of this evidence. The evidence provided by the other party shows a date in January 2012, when the plaintiff was not yet 60 years old and theoretically still capable of labor, and there is no objective basis for economic hardship.”
“Secondly, in 2012, our client had not yet graduated from college and did not have a stable source of income, which is insufficient to support the conditions for support.”
“Thirdly, if it is true as the other party claims that the plaintiff’s health was poor at the time, why did he take a nearly 10-hour train ride to North City in 2012 and beat our client in the street?”
With Li Zhao’s words, the opposing lawyer’s eyes widened instantly. Gu Jiahe suddenly understood that Gu Jianmin had hidden this incident from his lawyer. The lawyer was completely unaware of it.
Gu Jianmin couldn’t sit still anymore and stood up from his seat, pointing at Li Zhao and shouting, “You’re slandering me! Show me the evidence!”
The lawyer next to him quickly pulled him back, looking uneasy.
The presiding judge frowned. “Order! Maintain courtroom order.”
Then he turned to Li Zhao. “Counsel for the defendant, do you have corresponding evidence to submit?”
Li Zhao took out a USB drive from his file bag: “We have the video recordings from that time. If necessary, we can play them in court.”
Gu Jianmin seemed surprised that Li Zhao had the video from back then, and he sat back down with a thud.