Many crimes are committed on impulse.
In arguments that escalate, stabbing someone to death often stems from no deep-seated hatred, purely from being blinded by rage.
Pang Jinglong truly harboured deep hatred towards his father and that woman. However, in this life, Wen Ying’s rebirth had influenced many things. He Zhen established independence earlier, and Pang Jinglong invested money, which also changed his mental state.
The current changes were not yet enough to completely alter Pang Jinglong, but they preserved a few traces of his rationality.
As Wen Ying said, things could not possibly get worse than now. Trusting Wen Ying once would bring no loss.
Pang Jinglong had no concept of “family scandals should not be aired publicly”. His father was not afraid of losing face, so why should he be?
Moreover, Wen Ying was not an outsider. Now, like him, Wen Ying was He Zhen’s “investor”.
Pang Jinglong decided to bring his mother to meet Wen Ying.
Before setting off, Pang Jinglong confirmed one thing with his mother. “If we can really find a reliable lawyer, you are willing to divorce, right?”
The usually timid Mrs Pang nodded without hesitation. “Of course I am willing.”
Mrs Pang truly did not understand business matters. Over the years, constant denial and suppression from her husband had made her very insecure.
But Mrs Pang was not foolish.
The woman her husband kept outside also lived in a villa and drove luxury cars. The illegitimate son studied abroad with high expenses. If the company did not make money, how could her husband dare spend so lavishly?
Without a lawyer and agreeing to the settlement divorce, she would get only a small flat plus 1 million cash.
With a lawyer fighting the divorce case, no matter what, the outcome could not be worse than the settlement, right?
The friend her son had newly made said a capable lawyer could uncover hidden and transferred marital assets. Since lawyers charged based on a percentage of what the client ultimately received, divorce property lawyers would love to strip the opponent bare!
It was clearly such a serious matter, yet Wen Ying’s light-hearted description swept away some of the gloom in Mrs Pang’s heart.
Therefore, Mrs Pang was willing to divorce.
Mrs Pang wanted to secure more money for her son Pang Jinglong.
If a lawyer could help her achieve this, Mrs Pang would be very grateful and willing to pay the fees Wen Ying mentioned.
On the way to meet Wen Ying, Mrs Pang repeatedly confirmed details about Wen Ying with her son.
Pang Jinglong knew exactly how to reassure his mother. “She is He Zhen’s friend, a very famous writer. I only met her on this trip abroad. Like me, she invested in He Zhen. I am willing to trust her.”
The name “He Zhen” was a guarantee of trust. Mrs Pang indeed stopped asking.
The mother and son arrived at the meeting place. Wen Ying had just arrived too.
To make the pair trust her more, Wen Ying used a little tactic.
Tianjiao’s driver had brought Wen Ying over. The driver attentively opened the door for her and held an umbrella.
If the Wen Ying drinking on the balcony that night was a naive girl-next-door, the Wen Ying meeting them today inspired even more trust.
Pang Jinglong had no time to ponder the difference. Wen Ying had already stepped forward to greet them. “Auntie, let us go inside and talk. First, tell me the general situation.”
Wen Ying walked ahead with Mrs Pang. Pang Jinglong followed closely behind.
Pang Jinglong really wanted to ask if Wen Ying truly knew a reliable lawyer, but he feared it might affect his mother’s determination to divorce, so he simply kept silent.
That afternoon, Wen Ying listened to Mrs Pang’s story.
If they were to go to court, the information Wen Ying recorded was far from enough. But to convince her mentor from the previous life to take the case, what she noted was sufficient. Yes, that night drinking on the hotel balcony, Wen Ying had already planned how to help Pang Jinglong.
Pang Jinglong’s injustice and indignation all arose from his mother’s humiliation.
Mrs Pang was humiliated because she was in a weak position.
Cheating scumbags generally had no conscience. When love was gone, divorce was divorce. Yet in divorce, they still did not want to give much property to the original wife. The original wife would naturally feel wronged.
Xie Jinghu, Zhang Zhijun, and now Pang Jinglong’s father added.
In Wen Ying’s view, these three scumbags each had their own traits. They could even form a scumbag boy band and debut on the spot!
Outsiders might wonder why Wen Ying encountered so many scumbag dads.
This was actually related to the era Wen Ying found herself in after rebirth.
Hua country’s reform and opening up had allowed a batch to get rich first. In clothing, factories, real estate, mining… all industries produced “bosses”. With money in their pockets, these bosses inevitably developed wandering eyes. They felt their pre-wealth wives no longer matched their current selves. Some played with women outside while still saving face for the original wife. Some, relying on their earning ability, completely disregarded the original wife.
From this period, more and more original wives faced divorce.
Limited by the era, information spread slowly and inconveniently. Combined with original wives not understanding detailed family assets, most suffered great losses in divorce!
Many original wives lacked even the concept of “marital joint property”. When scumbags said the money was earned by them and the wife had no right to more, the wives mostly conceded.
Some women even harboured unrealistic fantasies about the scumbag, thinking there was no need to quibble over property division. What she gave up would go to the child anyway.
“Auntie, if you think carefully, you will know too. Before divorce, he is reluctant to spend on you. There is no reason after divorce he would suddenly grow a conscience, right? When you go to court, do not go easy. Because whatever is divided in divorce is final, protected by law. Beyond that, any promises or guarantees are fake. Even the most vicious oaths, anyway, I have never seen anyone struck by lightning for breaking one!”
After talking all afternoon, Wen Ying had some understanding of Mrs Pang’s personality.
Mrs Pang was different from Zou Weijun. Zou Weijun was trapped by past love. Once she thought it through, she could grow quickly.
Zou Weijun was an educated full-time wife, capable of raising a good son and handling family and social relations. How could she lack ability?
Mrs Pang was different.
Pang Jinglong’s father had never given his wife a chance to grow. That scumbag gave growth opportunities to his mistress.
Mrs Pang was still the traditional type of housewife, the kind most likely to suffer huge losses in divorce!
Wen Ying chatted with Mrs Pang all afternoon precisely to brainwash her incidentally, changing some of her perceptions.
If Mrs Pang did not suffer great losses in divorce and obtained her due economic compensation, half of the anger Pang Jinglong had suppressed for years would probably dissipate, right?
At least the impulse to kill would be gone.
Killing stemmed from injustice.
From Mrs Pang being humiliated.
If Mrs Pang could take half or more than half the family assets in divorce, no one could humiliate her again!
Money would be Mrs Pang’s confidence.
With half the assets in hand, those relatives and friends advising Mrs Pang to endure and be magnanimous would run to her and curse the mistress for being shameless.
Wen Ying brainwashing Mrs Pang was also soothing Pang Jinglong.
Brute courage only felt good momentarily. Dividing half the property in divorce felt good forever!
Wen Ying hoped Pang Jinglong would choose the latter.
At the end, Wen Ying did not forget to confirm with Mrs Pang, “You are truly determined to divorce, right?”
Mrs Pang nodded vigorously.
Wen Ying bloomed a smile. “I will call the lawyer right now. The lawyer I know is very capable!”
Wen Ying’s tone even carried some pride. Mrs Pang and Pang Jinglong gained more confidence.
Wen Ying stepped aside and dialled Zheng Zhihe’s number.
Zheng Zhihe thought Wen Ying was asking about the plagiarism lawsuit progress. Unexpectedly, Wen Ying said it was a divorce case.
Over the phone, Zheng Zhihe laughed happily. “This is too embarrassing. You are even introducing cases to me…”
“Nothing embarrassing. This divorce case involves splitting over a hundred million in assets. I hope to invite Lawyer Zheng’s teacher to handle it personally.”
Wen Ying suppressed her excitement.
Investing in He Zhen allowed her to gain Pang Jinglong’s trust.
Helping Pang Jinglong allowed her to reconnect with her mentor from the previous life!
Since the reputation rights lawsuit against the former chief editor of “Aige”, Han Qin, where she saw her mentor in court, Wen Ying had been thinking about how to restore contact.
Wen Ying had hesitated whether to study law again but decided to take a different path.
Asking her mentor to handle a lawsuit was unrealistic. Wen Ying had no major case needing such a big lawyer.
Wen Ying had considered introducing her mentor to Zou Weijun, but unexpectedly Xie Qian had the car accident. Zou Weijun’s divorce process fast-forwarded. Wen Ying had no chance to intervene.
Until now.
Splitting over a hundred million in assets, inviting her mentor to help Mrs Pang was perfectly normal.
In the previous life, her mentor had also taken Pang Jinglong’s case.
Wen Ying did not know if Pang Jinglong’s sentence was reduced.
In this life, finding her mentor to help Pang Jinglong’s mother and son with the lawsuit was the best closure for the previous life.
Wen Ying remembered her mentor feeling regret after reviewing the files on Pang Jinglong killing his stepmother.
Her mentor was always like that, regretting every person who impulsively turned to crime.
In this world, even if her mentor did not know Pang Jinglong’s fate from the previous life, she truly saved a would-be murderer.
