Chapter 73.2: “Since the day Ye Zhaoxia died, I have decided that I don’t want to be a good person anymore.”

Lin Hui took a deep breath and said, “The case of Ji Lin’s father, it was indeed my fault. I hid some information from you. I…I know that saying anything now is futile, but when I was in my twenties, I was also young and foolish. I didn’t know the ways of the world and was too impulsive. Young lawyers find it difficult to succeed in the industry. At that time, I was working as an assistant lecturer and part-time at a law firm. I couldn’t take on any good cases and could only choose from what was left by others. It’s not a big deal to work my way up slowly, and most lawyers are just ordinary lawyers for their entire lives. But I didn’t understand that at the time. I was too eager to prove myself and couldn’t bear the idea of being just an ordinary person in the future.”

Lin Hui’s voice was strained and bitter, “At that time, I only hoped to have the opportunity to handle a big case, one with influence. I believed in my ability, but I needed a chance. And then, the case of Ji Xin Pharmaceuticals came to me, it was like it was tailor-made for me by the heavens. One of the executives was a relative of one of my old teachers. My teacher introduced me to them and I did my best to provide them with legal solutions. But obviously, it wasn’t enough. My methods were completely legal and above board, but it couldn’t guarantee them a win. And it was also at that time that I found out they weren’t only in contact with me as their lawyer. They were also talking to other well-known lawyers in the industry, who could provide them with marginal solutions…”

“I couldn’t accept it. I couldn’t accept that this easy case would just end like that. As a young and inexperienced lawyer, if I couldn’t make a name for myself, I might only encounter this kind of high-profile case once in my lifetime. I had to take on this case.”

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Jyk Pwyd Pwyd vssj y ellr calyvb yde zsolale bla tygl. “Fs, usw ktdsale vbl pkvwyvksd sq vbl srrspkdt ryavu, ekpaltyaele vbl qykadlpp yde kxryavkyzkvu vbyv y zyoula pbswze byhl, yde lhld pwttlpvle vbyv vbl svbla ryavu nswze elpvasu vbl zycsa nsdvaynv, fwpv vs yrrzu ralppwal sd Kk Dkd Vbyaxynlwvknyzp ytykd vbaswtb rwczkn srkdksd?”

Gzvbswtb kv oyp lxcyaayppkdt, Nkd Twk lhldvwyzzu dseele. “Gv vbyv vkxl, yzz R nswze vbkdj ycswv oyp okddkdt vbkp nypl yde vyjkdt kv esod dknlzu, clnywpl R jdlo vbyv kq R nswze bydezl vbkp nypl olzz, R oswze byhl xsal srrsavwdkvklp yde rzyvqsaxp kd vbl qwvwal. Gp y zyoula, R oswze byhl vbl rsola vs nbsspl yde prlyj swv. R nswzed’v pll yduvbkdt lzpl yv vbyv vkxl, yde fwpv oydvle vs pwnnlle.”

“Ebs eslpd’v oydv vs xyjl y dyxl qsa vblxplzhlp obld vblu yal uswdt? Gp zyoulap, obs oswzed’v oydv vs vyjl sd y ckt nypl yde wpl vblka rasqlppksdyz pjkzzp vs tykd qyxl? Jwv Nkd Twk, eke usw wpl uswa rasqlppksdyz pjkzzp vs nawpb vbl svbla ryavu? Zsw nsxrzlvlzu ekpvsavle vbl nsdnlrv, usw osd dsv sdzu kd yd wdpyhsau oyu, cwv usw eked’v ynv zkjl y zyoula yv yzz. Zsw nsxrzlvlzu vssj yehydvytl sq vbl srrsavwdkvu obld Kk Dkd’p qwdekdt oyp nwv sqq, kdnkvle taswr lxsvksdp, xydkrwzyvle rwczkn srkdksd, yde lhld bkdvle vs uswa nzkldv sd bso vs elpvasu jlu lhkeldnl!

“R’x pvkzz tayvlqwz vs usw qsa blzrkdt xl yde dsv zlvvkdt xl zspl xu eye, cwv kd vbl nypl sq Kk Dkd Vbyaxynlwvknyzp, usw nyd’v oypb yoyu vbl qynv vbyv usw eked’v rzyu qyka. Kk Nkd oyp sdzu vbkavlld ulyap sze, yde clnywpl sq usw, bl zspv bkp qyvbla!”

Lin Hui instinctively tried to justify himself: “This was my fault, I was blinded by my own obsession, and I was too radical when I was young, but I really didn’t expect Ji Lin’s father to commit suicide in the end. I simply thought it was just a matter of Ji Xin Pharmaceuticals paying more money, given their size and resources, they could recover from it in the future. I didn’t expect my client to make false accusations and bring the core team out with him, I didn’t know the funding issue of Ji Xin Pharmaceuticals was so severe, and I didn’t think that the company would really go bankrupt because of it, nor did I expect Ji Lin’s father to be unable to bear the blow…”

“Your original intention was just to think that since the company had money, it wouldn’t matter if it paid for its mistakes this time, right? But why should the company have to pay for the mistakes of its employees?”

Now, Bai Duan Duan finally fully understood Ji Lin’s natural hatred towards employees and his position of protecting business owners, as well as his anger. This was because he himself had experienced it. His father had encountered despicable employees, and as a result, not only did his entrepreneurial spirit go to waste, but his life was also consumed by it. However, bystanders could still easily say, “The business owner is wealthy, so what’s wrong with paying the employees some money? It’s like they’re asking to rob.”

Due to her father’s experiences, Bai DuanDuan disliked business owners and believed that they were all cunning, treacherous, and greedy. She felt a natural sympathy for laborers who were similarly vulnerable like her father. However, this time, she was able to fully empathize with them and realize that in similarly extreme situations, whether laborers or business owners, no one is absolutely powerful.

Lin Hui’s expression truly conveyed a sense of remorse, but remorse was of no use. The past harm would not disappear, and the deceased would not come back to life.

“When I heard about Ji Lin’s family’s situation, I regretted it. I wanted to make amends, but I can’t do anything now. During that time, I doubted myself and felt depressed. Later, Zhao Xia pulled me out of it. She said I did something bad, so I should do ten things, do a hundred good deeds to make up for it and atone for my sins.”

Lin Hui’s expression was very pale, and he said in a hoarse voice, “I became a public interest lawyer to help those migrant workers who were owed wages for free. This was truly heartfelt, and I didn’t think about using it to gain fame or establish a public persona. I just knew I had done wrong and wanted to make amends, including your father’s case. You probably don’t believe me now, but I really do want to help you. Ji Lin lost his father because of me, but your father can still be saved…if it had been someone else in that situation, I would have helped too. I was happier than anyone when your father was finally discharged from the hospital, and Zhao Xia was also very happy. She didn’t care at all that I used the money we saved for our marriage to pay for your medical bills.”

Speaking of this medical fee, Bai DuanDuan’s heart suddenly sank: “The money you lent me at the beginning… The money you saved up for marriage and buying a house, is it the lawyer’s fee you obtained in Ji Lin’s father’s case?”

Lin Hui did not answer, he moved his gaze away and avoided Bai Duan Duan’s eyes. He didn’t want to tell Bai Duan Duan that he really had no intention of hurting her.

But Bai Duan Duan knew everything. The money that Lin Hui initially gave herself was really…

For Lin Hui at the time, he may have really wanted to help himself. Perhaps for him, using this money, which was not obtained cleanly, for a good purpose, was a kind of self-redemption and atonement. But no matter what his motives were, Bai Duan Duan did benefit from it. And this money…originally came from Ji Lin’s misfortune.

Seeing the painful expression on Bai Duan Duan’s face, Lin Hui couldn’t bear it any longer. He interrupted Bai Duan Duan’s thoughts and continued his explanation: “Anyway, because I took on many pro bono cases, I don’t know when it started, the media began to report me as a conscientious and principled lawyer. Although I feel unworthy of it, this reputation was unexpected and not something I deliberately pursued. And if I had known what this reputation would bring to Zhaoxia, I would rather die than have it. Compared to Zhaoxia, what are these external fame and fortune?”

At this point, Lin Hui’s expression was painful and struggling, and even Bai Duan Duan realized his abnormality. She tentatively asked, “What does this reputation have to do with Sister Zhaoxia?”

Lin Hui was silent for a moment before finally speaking again: “I never told you how Zhaoxia died.”

Bai Duan Duan didn’t speak. Zhaoxia was the dividing line of the truce between Lin Hui and her. Thinking of Zhaoxia also made her heart ache.

“You know all along that Xiaoxia died tragically in a sudden attack,” Lin Hui tried to suppress his sadness, “everyone told me to take comfort and that Xiaoxia’s death was an unexpected tragedy, not my fault. But I know it’s not true. That man, he didn’t randomly choose Xiaoxia, he was the person I had just dealt with on a case.”

Bai Duanduan was stunned, “So it was intentional…”

“Yes, he originally wanted to attack me. He found out where I lived and that I lived with my fiancée, Ye Zhaoxia, by tracking me. However, I happened to be out on a case, so he waited downstairs in our apartment complex for half a day, but I didn’t show up. Instead, Zhaoxia, who was going out to buy groceries, came out and he impulsively attacked her.”

All along, Bai DuanDuan had thought that Ye Zhaoxia’s case was truly an accident, as the perpetrator claimed not to know her and had no criminal record. It seemed to be a crime of passion. But at this moment, she had no idea that there was such a backstory.

Bai Duan Duan immediately asked, “Why did he do this to Sister Zhaoxia?”

“He was my client for a public interest lawsuit and a case of wage arrears. The company didn’t sign a labor contract, so after working for a year, they only paid him three months’ salary.” Lin Hui smiled bitterly. “Maybe I did wrong in the case of Ji Lin’s father. I took advantage of the lack of a labor contract to cheat him. Now, I have lost the person I love the most because of a case involving a lack of a labor contract.”

“Before this case, I had handled 59 cases of free legal aid, and luckily, I won them all. That’s why the legal community began calling me the ‘invincible public interest lawyer.’ When the client came to me for this case, he had heard of my reputation and came to me willingly. Although I repeatedly told him that I couldn’t promise him a victory, he probably saw my reputation and past successes and thought I was just being modest. After all, in his view, the case was simple: the law clearly states that if there is no written labor contract, the company must pay double the economic compensation. All I had to do was follow the procedures and win the case.”