Chapter 68.3: “Oh, I’m not on a business trip, I’m picking up my girlfriend.”

Neither her nor Ji Lin, including Xie Miao, had thought that the other side would resort to such a despicable tactic. This move is too low and is a complete self-defeating way of injuring the enemy.

Because, as long as any opponent lawyer that Tian Mu encounters also loves to create public opinion, plus Tang Li is a well-known internet celebrity, as long as a little bit of the content of the trial is leaked to the marketing department, the rhythm is enough to ruin Tang Li’s life. Although he would be ultimately exempted from the compensation for breach of the non-compete agreement, it can be almost foreseen that Tian Mu and Tang Li will not be able to live a peaceful life in the future. Although money is important, is one’s reputation and happiness really cheaper? No one wants to be a person who is poked at their spine by others.

The arbitration tribunal announced a recess and postponed the hearing. Tian Mu and Lu Shuisheng finally stopped their attempted physical conflict in Tang Li’s crying. They glared at each other and stood on opposite sides. Finally, Tian Mu slammed the door and left, Tang Li chased after him, while Lu Shuisheng adjusted his collar, made a call to his driver, and also left the arbitration tribunal.

After the arbitrator left, only Lin Hui and Bai Duanduan were left in the room.

“Do you want to have dinner, Duanduan?”

Dinner? Could she still eat anything?

“With this move, aren’t you afraid that I’ll dig up everything about Tang Li on the internet and let her experience what cyberbullying is? Nowadays, the moral standards of online trolls are even stricter than the law. Someone like Tang Li, who is suspected of cheating, will definitely be criticized to the point of questioning her life. She was originally a small celebrity, if she were doxxed, her entire life might be ruined. Most people can’t withstand this kind of cyberbullying and may even suffer from mental health problems, like insomnia or depression.”

Bai Duanduan looked at Lin Hui. “Doesn’t Tian Mu claim to dote on his wife? Is this how he treats her? He committed illegal activities and can’t handle it when it’s critical, so he lets his wife take the bullet? Does he really love Tang Li? I didn’t expect this kind of response from you guys. I thought Tian Mu would at least love his wife, but I never thought he would do this at a critical moment and leave his wife’s future in the hands of the other lawyer. In the era of social media, there are too many lawyers who know how to manipulate the internet and public opinion…”

“You don’t know,” Lin Hui neither denied nor confirmed Bai Duanduan’s accusation. As a senior lawyer, they all knew what was going on with so-called “sugar daddy” relationships. But for fear of being recorded, Lin Hui wouldn’t acknowledge or refute Bai Duanduan’s words. They simply changed the topic, “Duanduan, you don’t know, you’re not that kind of lawyer.”

“You never stoop to using public opinion to win a lawsuit. You’re too stubborn and always rely on your expertise to win cases. You look down on those who rely on public opinion and would never disclose the privacy or operations of the opposing party online just to win. You have a strong sense of professional ethics. I’ve said before that it’s admirable to have principles, but you need to learn to be flexible because being inflexible may not be beneficial to your client.”

“Of course, now that we have different positions, sticking to your principles makes it convenient for me.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll change?”

Lin Hui remained calm. “I’ve watched you grow up. I know who you are. You won’t.”

“Then aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Ji Lin about this operations?”

Lin Hui smiled. “You won’t.”

Lin Hui’s words were very calm. He even used the gentle tone he had when consoling herself after making a mistake in a case, trying to guide and point out her own weaknesses. His expression showed that he was genuinely concerned for Bai DuanDuan.

However, it was precisely because of this that Bai DuanDuan became even more angry.

Because she didn’t need this kind of kindness or advice, it only made her feel even more upset. At this moment, Bai DuanDuan felt both resentful and depressed. Maybe Ji Lin was right; she had indeed misjudged Lin Hui. He was no longer the refined old teacher he used to be, but had really changed.

The title of “Teacher Lin” might never be spoken again.

What made her even more upset was that Lin Hui had completely used his understanding of her personality and working principles to take a risky move to win the case and survive. Although Bai DuanDuan knew rationally that Lin Hui’s actions were what a proxy lawyer should do, it only made her feel used and calculated.

“Lawyer Lin, please remember that I am no longer your subordinate, so please don’t give me any advice or suggestions. If there is anything wrong with how I handle the case, my boss will naturally tell me, but not you.”

After saying this coldly, Bai DuanDuan turned and pushed open the door to leave. Although her face was calm, she was disappointed in Lin Hui to the extreme. She didn’t even want to speak to him again or correct his accusations.

Fortunately, at this moment, Ji Lin was by her side.

Almost as soon as she walked into the lobby of the Arbitration Commission, Bai DuanDuan received a call from Ji Lin. This man did what he said he would do and had indeed come back. He was waiting for her at the entrance, and as soon as Bai DuanDuan walked out, she saw Ji Lin leaning against the car door.

He was on the phone, focused and calm, analyzing something for his client. Perhaps the evidence was not in their favor. As he spoke, his brow involuntarily furrowed. However, when he looked up and saw Bai Duan Duan, his expression softened, and his handsome brows relaxed.

Bai DuanDuan saw him and heard him say, “I understand your situation, but I need to see the original contract you signed at the time, compare the terms in detail, and then you can send it to me by email, and I’ll look into it when I get back to the office.”

The other person on the phone seemed to be one of his familiar clients.

Ji Lin smiled slightly and pursed his lips, “Oh, I’m not on a business trip, I’m picking up my girlfriend.”

After finishing the call, Ji Lin looked at Bai DuanDuan and asked, “So, did you win? Should I have Xie Miao take you out for a meal?”

Bai DuanDuan had felt disappointed and regretful when facing Lin Hui just now, but now that she saw Ji Lin, she felt a sense of grievance from deep within her heart, as well as some shame and embarrassment.

She lowered her head and said, “I lost.”

Ji Lin was taken aback.

While she had lost before, this was the first time she had ever felt like crying. “I lost, and the other lawyer was Lin Hui,” she explained anxiously. “I didn’t let up just because he was Lin Hui. I really didn’t expect him to use this kind of tactic…”

Bai DuanDuan explained in detail to Ji Lin what had happened during the arbitration hearing. She was actually worried about being blamed by Ji Lin, as he had trusted her to appear in court alone, and Xie Miao had also entrusted her with full authority. But she…

However, Ji Lin just pursed his lips and looked into Bai DuanDuan’s eyes, “It’s okay, I trust you. It’s not your fault. Xie Miao and I didn’t expect the other side to use this kind of operation, but just because things have progressed to this point doesn’t mean we’re sure to lose. As long as we find other key supplementary evidence before the next hearing, the process may be more complicated, but the final outcome won’t change.”