What's wrong with this lawyer?!

Chapter 81: Chapter 69 You've gone too far!

In the lobby of Jingzhou City's First Hospital, Li Lao Er and a few other workers, with dirt still on their clothes, hastily got out of the car and made their way inside.

Just as they were about to enter, Li Lao Er spoke up, "Don't rush to go up; should we really go empty-handed?"

Although everyone had prepared money, showing up empty-handed still didn't seem right.

Li Lao Er nodded, "Let's buy something then. There seems to be a shop next to the hospital."

The group looked around and quickly found a fruit store. The enthusiastic shop owner started recommending fruit baskets as soon as he learned they were there to visit someone.

"Take a look, this quality is definitely suitable for a gift, and it's all fresh fruit, just stocked today. When people give gifts in the hospital, they give these."

Luo Duancheng had a look and it indeed looked pretty good. He then asked, "How much for one?"

"Not expensive, only three hundred and fifty for one. If you're buying five, I can give you a discount, let's say three hundred and twenty each."

What? The migrant workers were stunned when they heard the price. To tell the truth, they had no idea it would be so expensive.

Someone hesitated and said, "Or... shall we go somewhere else to buy?"

Hearing this, the shop owner quickly said, "You won't find cheaper fruit baskets anywhere else. Just now I heard you're visiting someone who got injured helping you, so it definitely has to be a fruit basket."

"Let's be honest here, you buy it so that the recipient knows you care, right? You're not visiting relatives or friends where anything will do. You can't be gifting something ordinary. Look at our fruit baskets; the packaging is absolutely presentable."

These days it's like this, once an item is linked to gifting, it can no longer be measured by its normal price because a gift represents your sentiment.

Everyone knows that the mooncakes on the market are a rip-off, but they still sell like hotcakes every year because people need these flashy but insubstantial things for gifts.

The shop owner was quite persuasive, and the group felt he did have a point.

A higher price could reflect their sincerity.

Without further hesitation, Li Lao Er took out some money wrapped in a piece of cloth from his bosom and began to count it layer by layer.

Five people walked into the hospital each carrying a fruit basket.

Only after entering did they realize they didn't know where Lawyer Tang's ward was.

They wanted to call but were afraid of disturbing Lawyer Tang's rest, so they could only go to the information desk to ask.

The girl at the information desk asked with a puzzled face, "Huh? Which Lawyer Tang? What's the matter?"

"It's… it's Lawyer Tang Fangjing who was stabbed and hospitalized today; he's the one who helped us with our wage claim and ended up getting stabbed," Luo Duancheng quickly explained.

The girl at the information desk suddenly understood and said, "Oh, that Lawyer Tang. He's on the fourth floor, come, I'll take you up."

They might need to look up other patients, but they definitely knew about this Lawyer Tang.

The internet was now full of discussions about him and even some official media had published articles condemning the act of attacking and retaliating against a lawyer...

But online, there was a lot of controversy. Some people thought that Lawyer Tang must have been in it for the money, an idea that attracted quite a following, because after all, how could people not want money?

But based on what these people were saying, was it really just for the wage claim?

Taking the elevator to the fourth floor, after speaking with the nurse at the ward, the group pushed open the door and entered the room.

Inside, Old Tang was looking at the online comments, and he wasn't surprised at all by such controversy.

As someone who was a renowned litigant in his former life, he certainly understood the reputation lawyers had nowadays.

But he didn't care, focusing on the facts. Although the legal channels are often criticized, at the very least they provide a way to solve problems, no matter how slow or delayed, step by step, there would always be a result.

Unlike other methods, where if someone decides to ignore you, that's it—you won't be able to find them. At the very least, the court must provide a result.

As he was musing, he saw the door to the ward being pushed open, and several workers walked in.

"Hey, Master Luo, Master Li, what are you doing here?" Tang Fangjing said with surprise.

Luo Duancheng quickly said, "We saw on the internet that you were stabbed by someone surnamed Lei. Lawyer Tang, you... you are... "

"It's just a stab wound and not at a vital spot, nothing serious. Rest assured, our lawsuit is not over yet," Tang Fangjing immediately said with a smile.

He hadn't expected these migrant worker brothers to actually come visit him.

Seeing that Tang Fangjing was indeed not seriously hurt, Luo Duancheng and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.

They then placed the fruit basket they were carrying beside Tang Fangjing's bed.

Behind them, Li Lao Er took a tightly wrapped small package out of his pocket, unwrapping it layer by layer, revealing a stack of money inside.

Next to him, Luo Duancheng and the others also took out money, the older ones using cloth and newspaper to wrap it, and the younger ones with an old wallet to hold it.

Li Lao Er, quite embarrassed, offered the money and said, "Um... Lawyer Tang, you got stabbed because of our issue. We don't have much money now, so we brought you some fruit and the rest of our money for you to use for your treatment..."

Tang Fangjing looked at the pile of fruit baskets by his side and then at the money in everyone's hands and was immediately taken aback.

Taking on the case of these people, he was very aware of their current situation.

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Luo Duancheng was owed wages, almost unable to return home, while Lao Er Li's son lay in a hospital bed. They seldom indulged in meat, subsisting on plain steamed buns and water...

This money wasn't just money, it was their life!

Yet, they hesitated not to buy fruit baskets, those from the hospital entrance that were never cheap—preying on any opportunity.

To then give him money... Although it wasn't much, pooled together by five people it summed up to around seven or eight thousand, but it was how the money was scraped together that mattered.

Tang Fangjing couldn't help but think of a past news story, where a lifesaver perished, and the person saved coldly stated they didn't ask to be saved, the savior's death had nothing to do with them...

Indifference, the extreme kind, where not even an apology was given for the death of a benefactor. At that time, Tang Fangjing thought that society shouldn't be like this.

"Master Li, about this... Ah, how should I put it, you should keep the money..."

However, before Tang Fangjing could finish speaking, Lao Er Li across him directly said, "Lawyer Tang, I know you're a good person, you see our hardship, but this is our sincerity. Please take it."

Old Tang truly had no way to deal with the stubborn old farmers; his repeated refusals were futile as they insisted on leaving him the money.

Shaking his head, he said, "Fine, fine, Master Li, then leave the money, but don't keep the fruit baskets here."

Seeing that the other party was about to say something, Tang Fangjing quickly said, "I'm not telling you to take it back, but this thing is a rip-off. Just open one and see."

Luo Duancheng curiously opened a fruit basket, and was instantly stunned.

The fruits on the outside were big and round, but that was just the top layer. Underneath, the fruits were small and wrinkled, some even looked rotten.

Seeing the disbelief on their faces, Tang Fangjing said, "Things sold at the hospital entrance are mostly rip-offs. This isn't even the worst case. Before, people didn't even fill the inside with fruits."

"They used fillers like cardboard instead, at least here they bothered to put some actual fruits."

Those who haven't seen this might think it's a tall tale. How could someone be this malicious? Overcharging is one thing, but not even filling the baskets with proper fruits...

Never overestimate human nature, for people are always greedy, Old Tang included—he coveted life.

The group of construction workers looked at each other, ablaze with anger.

"A fruit basket for over three hundred, and just this stuff inside, some even spoiled—absolutely black-hearted!" Lao Er Li lamented, feeling like his heart was bleeding.

Over three hundred—how many bricks would he have to haul to earn that back.

"Let's go back and confront them!"

The group, carrying their fruit baskets, were ready to head downstairs but were stopped by Tang Fangjing.

"Even if you go, they might not admit to it. Wait a moment. I'll call someone for you to take you to a nearby Market Supervision Office. Just bring their staff over to check."

The deception was a bit too egregious not to teach them a lesson.

Having problems with five fruit baskets wasn't a huge issue, but if many baskets in the shop turned out faulty, that would be satisfying indeed.

Confronting them too soon might tip them off...

"Hey Old Song, see if Wan Ting or someone is around. Oh, they're all not there? Why don't you hire a few more intern lawyers? I've got an issue and don't even know who to call."

On the other end of the line, Old Song's mouth was almost twisted with annoyance. Listen to this—is this how a person speaks!

"Alright, alright. Once I'm done here at the Lawyers Association, I'll come to take care of it for you, bother!"

With Old Song arranging the matter for the construction workers, there was no need for concern. Tang Fangjing really didn't want their money.

Forget it, the case was almost through the procedures anyway. By then, he'd mix this money into their wages, just say it was compensation, and that would be that, since they wouldn't understand anyway.

......

The online dispute continued, with Ju Haiqing using her "Rem, My Wife" account wreaking havoc, but skepticism lingered as there was no real evidence.

What to do, should she seek out Lawyer Tang...

Just then, the long-absent Jingzhou City Lawyers Association published a video.

The video featured an interview.

"I'm the lawyer in the video swinging the mop... but my name's not Lü Bu."

"And now, I can clarify for everyone that this case involved Lawyer Tang with several construction workers applying for legal aid, and furthermore, all kinds of expenses including legal fees, preservation fees, and the rest were advanced by Lawyer Tang."

"I have all the evidence here."

Once the video went out, lawyers who already thought Old Tang was somewhat odd were at a loss for words—how were they supposed to assess this?

Between providing legal aid and fronting the money himself, this was too much!

It's like a novel site called Starting Point where everyone happily works on four thousand words a day, constantly finding reasons to take days off—complaining of aching hands, shoulders, backs...

Then suddenly there appears someone called The Eagle Eats the Chick claiming thirty thousand words a day without fail. How is everyone supposed to react to this...

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