Chapter 83.1 Life has its ups and downs, but you bring sweetness.

Because he had to rush to the company at 6 o’clock in the morning to finalize the negotiation plan, Ji Lin originally planned to quietly get up without waking up Bai DuanDuan, leaving her to continue sleeping. However, he didn’t expect her to be very alert, and with just a slight movement due to the way he was holding her, Bai DuanDuan opened her eyes.

Then she clung to Ji Lin…

After Bai DuanDuan finished freshening up and sat at the dining table, calmly drinking her milk while keeping her gaze fixed on Ji Lin, her tone quite determined. “I’m going with you.”

Although Ji Lin no longer minded losing as much in his heart, he still didn’t want his girlfriend to witness the process of him losing. Subconsciously, he tried to find a reason to refuse. “The company hasn’t hired you as a lawyer, so stay in the hotel and wait for me.” He kissed Bai Duanduan’s cheek. “I’ll come back as soon as possible.”

Bai DuanDuan nodded understandingly. “Right, I haven’t signed any representation agreement with the company.” Then she looked up at Ji Lin. “But I remember when I joined Sheng Lin, in addition to being an independent commission-based lawyer, I also took on the role of your assistant. It’s fine if I don’t go as the attorney representing this case, I can go with you as your assistant.”

“…”

When it came to twisting logic and reasoning, Ji Lin felt like he was no longer Bai Duanduan’s match.

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“Generally speaking, at times like these, the employees just want to quickly and easily get their money without going through the hassle of going to court. Besides, they are well aware that the labor contracts were signed but destroyed by the executives. However, they don’t have access to our information and are unaware if we have any other evidence to prove the existence of written contracts. So, the first negotiation is crucial. It’s a kind of probing for both parties. If the company shows any signs of weakness, the employees will make outrageous demands.”

“In labor disputes, during the first negotiation, as long as the workers and the company haven’t completely severed ties, there is still a possibility of reaching a compromise where both parties make concessions. After all, arbitration and litigation are time-consuming and draining.”

“So, let’s first hear the initial demands from the employee representatives during this first negotiation,” Ji Lin furrowed his brow slightly. “Based on my experience, as long as their attitude isn’t too firm, their initial offer can be negotiated. It will require multiple rounds of negotiations and finding a middle ground while testing each other’s bottom lines. It can become a psychological battle as well. You need to be prepared.”

Cai Ming looked serious and nodded in agreement with Ji Lin.

The group of people was prepared and waiting. Soon after they finalized their plans and negotiation strategies, a call came in from the front desk.

The employee representatives had arrived.

Bai DuanDuan glanced at Ji Lin. His expression remained calm and composed, but his brow was slightly furrowed.

Bai DuanDuan reached out and held Ji Lin’s hand under the table. Ji Lin was momentarily taken aback, he glanced at Bai DuanDuan, who just smiled at him. Then Ji Lin tightened his grip on her hand.

Soon, the door of the meeting room opened, and three employee representatives entered one after another.

Bai DuanDuan quickly observed them. Among the three representatives, the one leading the group was a middle-aged man in his forties wearing glasses. He had a refined appearance and seemed knowledgeable about legal terms. He would be difficult to deal with.

To his left was an even older woman who appeared close to retirement age. Bai DuanDuan couldn’t help but furrow her brow. These types of individuals, strong and tenacious older ladies, were particularly challenging to handle…

The last representative among the three happened to be a relatively young man. He seemed to have only worked for a few years. In comparison to the other two representatives, he appeared less composed and approachable. Bai DuanDuan quickly made a judgment and felt that this person could be the breakthrough point for the negotiation.

In her mind, she even pondered that if they could use this young employee representative as a breakthrough, Ji Lin might not have an advantage in the negotiation. Perhaps it would be better for her to handle it herself. Sometimes, there is less antagonism between individuals of the opposite sex. Although women often face disadvantages in the workplace, it doesn’t mean they are completely without advantages.

However, while she was still considering her plan, the middle-aged man who was leading the group among the three spoke first:

“Mr. Cai, today we’d like to discuss our labor contracts.”

Cai Ming glanced at Ji Lin and maintained a calm and flawless expression, “Sure, I’ve entrusted Lawyer Ji to communicate with you regarding everything.”

The middle-aged man hesitated, “No need, actually. We don’t need a lawyer to negotiate.”

Ji Lin furrowed his brow, “So what are your demands?”

He didn’t like beating around the bush and preferred getting straight to the point without wasting time. Just as Ji Lin, Bai Duanduan, and Cai Ming were waiting for the workers to request money, the response from the three representatives caught them completely off guard.

“No, we’re not here to terminate the contracts and seek compensation,” the middle-aged man chuckled, “We just wanted to ask if we’ll still receive our salaries at the end of this month?”

“If the salaries can’t be paid by the end of the month, can they be compensated at the beginning of the following month?” The young man next to the middle-aged man also spoke up. He looked somewhat embarrassed as he glanced at Cai Ming. “I happen to be renovating my new house and I’ve made a lot of big purchases this month. I used my credit card for payments. I can manage without receiving my salary this month, but I’ll need to make the repayment at the beginning of next month…”

Cai Ming clearly paused for a moment. Not only him, but Bai DuanDuan and Ji Lin were also somewhat surprised. What kind of intentions did the workers’ representatives have with this opening statement? Were they probing?

Ji Lin exchanged a glance with Cai Ming, who sensibly remained silent. Ji Lin then looked at the three worker representatives and said, “Regarding salary issues, as long as you have genuinely worked and fulfilled your duties during the month, the company is legally obligated to pay the corresponding amount.”

His response sounded very official, without revealing any specific information. Even if the other side had secretly prepared a recording device, these words were watertight.

The middle-aged man paused for a moment and then chuckled, “Mr. Cai, really, there’s no need to involve lawyers. In fact, direct negotiations would yield better results.” He looked at Ji Lin with disagreement before turning his gaze to Cai Ming. His tone was gentle. “We have no intention of resorting to labor arbitration, nor do we have any plans to leave the company.”

“We know what Zhang Chen and the other executives did. We know they intentionally destroyed all the written labor contracts. We’re also aware that the company is facing financial difficulties lately, making it difficult to pay salaries on time this month. However, we never considered suing the company or using the contract destruction as leverage to extort double salaries from the company.”

The tone of the other party was calm and sincere. “The main purpose of our visit this time is actually a few things. First and foremost, and what concerns everyone the most, we want to inquire about the company’s predicament and how long it will last. Regarding the overdue salaries, can they be paid next month? If they can, we’ve prepared a list here comprising employees who are facing financial difficulties or urgently need money. Can the finance department prioritize paying these employees their salaries? As for the rest of us, if the company is unable to pay in the short term, can you provide a certificate or explanation indicating when it will be possible, at the latest, so that everyone can be at ease?”

At this point, the other party, even though demanding their wages was a justified matter, seemed somewhat embarrassed. “We are all working-class people. Even if some of us have relatively better financial conditions and can sustain ourselves for a bit longer, it may only be a few months… So, Mr. Cai, we just want to ask, what is the current situation of the company?”

Cai Ming moved his lips, wanting to speak, but Ji Lin’s gaze stopped him. Ji Lin’s meaning was clear: listen to the workers until they finish.