After listening to Lin Chu make the call, Zhang Peng found himself growing inexplicably excited.

’Brother Chu is something else. He’s all action, already calling in a lawyer.’

However, he suddenly hesitated. His hesitation stemmed from a conflict between two opposing values: the satisfaction of swift revenge versus the business principle of "harmony breeds wealth."

Swift revenge was satisfying, of course. It cleared the mind and felt true to one’s instincts.

’But we have our own company now, and it just opened. Should we really be making an enemy so rashly?’

’The other guy isn’t a nobody. He’s a boss, so he must have some connections. He could play dirty, trip us up, and just create unnecessary trouble down the line.’

’Of course, it’s not that we’re scared, but it just seems unnecessary.’

After weighing both ideas, Zhang Peng smiled and asked, "President Lin, will a lawyer really work for this? What’s your plan?"

Lin Chu glanced at him and smiled, pressing his lips together.

"I doubt it’ll actually go to court, but we need to show we’re serious. Tomorrow, you’ll drive the Mercedes, take my bodyguard, Xiaoliang, and the lawyer, and pay a visit to your old company. Invite your old boss out to a meal and see what his attitude is. We’ll extend a courtesy before resorting to force."

"A normal businessman who values harmony and profit will probably just pay up."

"If he wants to act like a scoundrel and play dirty, we’ll just see this through with him."

’The main thing is I don’t know what kind of background or connections his old boss has. We need to feel him out first.’

’Of course, as a lawyer, Ah Xiong has his own channels for looking into things.’

Hearing this, Zhang Peng was greatly relieved. He laughed and said, "Alright, I’ve got no problem with that. Liang Mo, tomorrow you’re going back to the old company to put on a show. A magnificent one."

Liang Mo took a deep breath, his voice a mix of excitement and emotion. "Thank you, President Lin. Thank you, President Zhang."

"Don’t mention it," Lin Chu said with a casual smile. "You’re my guy. I’m the only one who gets to mess with you. Nobody else."

Liang Mo could only manage an "uh..."

For a moment, he was speechless, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

’Why does that sound so weird?’

’It’s like something a guy would say to his girlfriend.’

...

Just as the food was beginning to arrive, Li Haohong showed up.

He was dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and tie, carrying a briefcase. A waiter led him to the room, and he pushed the door open to enter.

He smiled as soon as he walked in. "Brother Chu, my apologies. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Lin Chu stood to greet him, patting his shoulder with a smile. "No, it’s my fault. I only heard about this from my guy here right as we started eating, otherwise I would have scheduled something with you in advance. You’re a top lawyer; I know how valuable your time is..."

Li Haohong’s smile broadened, feeling respected. "Not at all, not at all. This isn’t business, this is personal. The fact that you thought of me is what matters. Should we eat first, or get down to business?"

A true professional, he knew just what to say.

"Sit, sit. We can talk while we eat. It’s not a huge deal, but you’re the expert..."

Lin Chu had him sit next to him, and as they ate, he asked Liang Mo to explain the situation once more.

Li Haohong listened intently without interrupting, letting Liang Mo finish his story.

However, when he heard there was a "reimbursement dispute," his brow furrowed slightly.

Liang Mo concluded, "So that’s pretty much it. Sigh... I’m sorry to trouble you all with this."

"When you signed your employment contract," Li Haohong asked after a moment of thought, "were there any specific clauses about bonuses and performance incentives?"

Liang Mo gave a bitter smile. "No. The contract only listed a fixed salary and a fixed bonus. Everything else—performance pay, commissions, the year-end bonus—was all just a verbal promise from the manager."

Hearing this, Lin Chu glanced at them. Putting himself in their shoes, he could see how frustrating it was.

’Honestly, I’m not saying all bosses are bad, but most of them are scum like this.’

’Except for me, of course.’

"Then arbitration might be difficult..." Li Haohong commented calmly, "Let me look into it first. I’ll mainly investigate the personal situation of the company’s owner. As for the money, we can definitely get it back, but the process might drag on and take some time. Of course, I’m sure Brother Chu isn’t concerned about a few tens of thousands of yuan—that’s not even enough for a bottle of his wine. It’s about the principle of the matter. Is that right?"

Lin Chu nodded with a smile.

’This lawyer is sharp. He knows exactly what I’m thinking.’

"Alright, let’s leave it at that for now. I’ll create a group chat for us later. For now, let’s just enjoy the meal."

With the business discussion concluded for the moment, they focused on eating and drinking.

"So, what have you been busy with lately?" Lin Chu asked casually.

Li Haohong laughed. "Well, since you asked, I’ll give you a rundown. I primarily handle three types of cases. First, divorce and asset division. Second, financial, contract, and debt disputes. And third, corporate investment and financing—brokering deals, handling risk management, and managing government, corporate, and banking relationships. Haha, it’s all about the money."

The first time they met, there were too many people, so he had only made small talk and mentioned he was a lawyer.

This time, however, was an opportunity to go into detail.

Truth be told, a case this small was beneath Li Haohong’s notice. He usually passed off cases of this level to his assistants to give the junior lawyers some practice.

However, the case wasn’t the point. Lin Chu was.

Lin Chu smiled, raised his glass in a toast to him, and said casually, "That’s some serious business. You know, I don’t think my company will need to hire in-house legal counsel. We should just put your firm on retainer."

Hiring a full-time in-house counsel would cost at least 200,000 a year, and that’s on the low end.

Li Haohong naturally understood what Lin Chu was implying. He smiled graciously. "If Brother Chu is willing, I’d be more than happy to. But there’s no rush. Let’s focus on helping our friend here with his case first."

"Actually, I am in a hurry. I’ll talk to you about it in detail tomorrow."

Lin Chu understood the principle of quid pro quo perfectly.

Li Haohong smiled back. "Of course, Brother Chu."

...

’Lin Chu was suddenly struck by a thought. This is what social status for the wealthy really means, isn’t it?’

’You’re protected on all fronts.’

’Bodyguards for potential physical threats.’

’Lawyers for dangers that exist within the rules of society.’

’A fitness team for your health, a medical team for when you get sick, and massive insurance policies.’

’Of course, it would be even better to have a protective umbrella over my head.’

’But Peng City is a first-tier city, after all. The ceiling is incredibly high. With my current net worth, and not being a local, I haven’t reached that level yet. Without the right opportunity, I wouldn’t be able to meet anyone like that anyway.’

...

After dinner, Lin Chu paid the bill. It was a relatively light meal; they had only finished one bottle of red wine. The total came to 260,000, and he received a rebate of 520,000.

He felt a stare on his back and glanced over his shoulder. It was Liang Mo and Xue Xiaojun, their eyes wide with a mixture of shock and fervent ambition.

Zhang Peng chuckled. "This is normal for President Lin, so don’t be surprised. This is how our company operates. You’ll get used to it."

The two of them nodded emphatically.

’This is the path to wealth!’

’The path to wealth!’

’Of course, just how great this path to wealth was would depend on their first month’s salary.’

...

...