When Wen Dongrong met Lawyer Du, Du was chatting with his old rival, Old Li, in the courtyard of their workplace.
Wen Ying and Chen Ru had been in a cold war for a while, both keeping a low profile recently. Wen Dongrong lacked material to boast about, and without his usual flaunting, Old Li, forgetting past slights, began subtly opposing him at work again.
Of course, Old Li was discreet, not openly challenging Wen Dongrong, which meant Wen couldn’t retaliate too harshly. Wen Dongrong had a hunch he was on the verge of a promotion, inferred from the big boss’s recent task assignments.
A promotion would put him firmly above Old Li.
Both seasoned players in the workplace, Wen Dongrong sensed his impending rise, and Old Li, his competitor, could tell too.
Old Li was deeply resentful.
He was nearly ten years older than Wen Dongrong.
If Wen missed this chance, others might come. For Old Li, this was his last shot.
Society’s cruelty to middle-aged men wasn’t just the burden of supporting family but the clear end to career prospects. Career bottlenecks existed for all; some broke through to new heights, others didn’t. Old Li couldn’t bear the thought of becoming Wen Dongrong’s subordinate.
Recently, Wen Dongrong’s momentum was strong, handling every task well, leaving Old Li no chance to trip him up.
Then, Lawyer Du appeared like a savior.
Old Li, hearing a lawyer was looking for Wen Dongrong, eagerly escorted Du into the workplace, probing along the way about Du’s purpose.
Was it a Wen family relative in trouble again?
Or Wen Dongrong himself?
Old Li was cunning, but Du was no pushover.
While Old Li tried to extract information, Du turned the tables, learning plenty.
For instance, Wen Dongrong often bragged about his daughter at work.
She got into a top provincial high school.
She won a New Concept Essay contest.
She even bought him a second-hand car with her manuscript fees.
But he never mentioned her publishing a novel.
Old Li’s words made Du realize: Wen Dongrong’s colleagues didn’t know his daughter was the author of the media-hyped Teen Idol.
Being a bestselling author wasn’t shameful.
Most parents would trumpet their child’s success.
Unless they were extremely reserved.
But Wen Dongrong clearly wasn’t.
He even boasted about his daughter buying him a belt.
So, Wen Ying’s contract with Rongcheng Literature Press and hiring a lawyer for a lawsuit were her own decisions.
Little girl, such big decisions—do your parents know?
Du’s face showed a faint smile.
He’d suspected this before coming to see Wen Dongrong.
From start to finish, Wen’s parents had no presence in the matter because they were clueless.
A contract signed by a minor without guardian consent… even if legally valid, families aren’t legal battlegrounds. Parents and a minor daughter are inherently unequal. If family conflict erupted, who’d have energy for external lawsuits?
Du solidified his strategy.
He was now certain Wen’s parents were unaware, making it easy to stir their resentment against Rongcheng Publishing Group.
Make them question whether Rongcheng Literature-press exploited Wen Ying by secretly signing her.
Make them see the press, for its own profit and to promote Teen Idol, pushed a minor into a lawsuit.
Is a lawsuit ever good?
Adults spend vast time and money on lawsuits. A high school girl in one—does she still care about her studies?
From Du’s information, Wen Ying attended Rongcheng’s top high school. Getting in from a rural county was tough. After her admission, her mother, Chen Ru, even transferred jobs to accompany her in Rongcheng.
Old Li’s intel fleshed out Du’s profile of Wen Dongrong: a small-time official with a positive workplace image, seemingly popular but envied, with colleagues always seeking his flaws; maintaining a good image and holding minor power, he was likely a strict patriarch at home.
A strict family environment led Wen Ying to hide her publishing and lawsuit from her parents.
She might fear their disapproval or, long oppressed, rebelled this way, aiming to reveal her achievements later to prove her worth.
Such a girl, sharp-tongued in court, confident before a judge.
But in front of her parents, that confidence would crumble into timidity and weakness.
Nine out of ten children of domineering parents are like this.
Du never underestimated his opponents. To find a way to get the lawsuit withdrawn, he read Teen Idol twice. A teenage girl’s writing focused on school and family life. Du tried to glean her upbringing and family atmosphere from her work.
As they say, “A thousand readers have a thousand Hamlets.”
Song Chan read vibrant warmth in the book; Du saw Wen Ying’s longing for family warmth.
People crave what they lack.
With Old Li’s intel, Du grew more confident.
So, when Wen Dongrong came downstairs, he saw a sharply dressed, handsome middle-aged man with an air of subtle arrogance, carrying a briefcase.
Confirmed: not the type Wen Dongrong liked dealing with.
And standing beside him was Old Li.
“Comrade Dongrong, this Lawyer Du has business with you. I saw him waiting at the gate and brought him in. You won’t mind me taking the initiative, right? If you’re in trouble, don’t be shy. We’re colleagues for years; we wouldn’t let you suffer. Tell me, is it a relative? Oh, I remember, that brother-in-law who reported you by letter, is he causing trouble again?”
Next to the polished Du, Old Li’s exaggerated, winking smile seemed sleazy. Wen Dongrong was baffled. All this time, he’d seen Old Li as a rival?
Old Li, even in imperial robes, wouldn’t look like an emperor. How could he be a rival?
Du handed Wen Dongrong his card.
“Mr. Wen, I’d like to discuss something about your daughter. Can we talk in your office?”
Not about Wen Dongrong, but his daughter?
What could a high school girl do to involve a lawyer? Surely not suing him for abuse.
Old Li’s eyes gleamed with gossip. Wen Dongrong wasn’t shocked, just calm.
He knew that 1,000 yuan in pocket money wasn’t easy to keep. A trap was waiting.
