He Qian sat in a spacious and bright office, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk, with a confident expression that suggested he had the situation in hand. He quickly dialed Zheng Juan's number and spoke with a cool, business-like tone.
"Ms. Zheng Juan? This is He Qian, Mr. Xiao Ran's attorney. Who is your attorney? Oh, Attorney Han Tao, I see. I will coordinate with Attorney Han for any updates on this case. He will keep you informed promptly." He Qian hung up the phone without waiting for a response.
He took a deep breath, adjusted his sitting position, and dialed another number. The person on the other end sounded nervous, but He Qian spoke with a teasing tone. "Hello, this is He Qian. Yes, I am representing Mr. Xiao Ran. Regarding this case, I can clearly tell you that you are going to lose. However, I'm not calling to gloat. I am representing Mr. Xiao Ran to propose a lawsuit for re-dividing the marital property.
"As for our grounds for the lawsuit? It's simple. Mr. Xiao Ran has discovered that Zheng Jie is not his biological son. Therefore, he demands a re-division of property and compensation for emotional distress." He Qian's words were like a bombshell, leaving the person on the other end silent for a moment. They had not anticipated that Zheng Juan would hide such an important matter, nor did they expect that He Qian, Xiao Ran's attorney, would know about it.
What lawyers fear most is when their clients hide secrets that are uncovered by the opposing attorney. This sudden blow caught them off guard. However, He Qian remained unaffected. He continued, "Alright, you can go investigate. I believe you will soon understand the gravity of this case." After hanging up, he smiled triumphantly.
To him, this case was as straightforward as an open-book exam. Even an intern lawyer would find it difficult to lose such a lawsuit. He picked up the phone again and dialed a number, "Zhang, I have a task for you. I need you to write a short article about the rumors involving Dr. Zhang Zihao, a bone surgeon at the North District of the City Hospital, and Nurse Zheng Juan, who work in the same department. They are having an affair and have a child together. This is the main storyline. You can take it from there and have some freedom in writing. Remember to hire some online influencers to stir up the buzz. I want all the doctors and nurses in the North District Orthopedics Department to know about this by tonight at the latest."
After hanging up, He Qian leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes slightly. He knew that Xiao Ran's intention was to ruin Zheng Juan's reputation. As a man, he naturally sided with Xiao Ran; as the attorney for the party involved, he had to fully support Xiao Ran. He thought to himself, "Those adulterers deserve to be nailed to the pillar of shame!"
...
Zheng Juan had just put down the phone and had not yet calmed down when the phone rang again. She felt a sense of panic, not knowing what bad news awaited her next. However, she had to pick up the phone and answer it with gritted teeth. A strange voice came from the other end, filled with mockery and sarcasm. "Ms. Zheng Juan? I heard you're not having a good time lately? Is it because of that lawsuit? Haha, don't worry, this is just the beginning. You'll soon understand what it means to be ruined beyond repair." The caller hung up before Zheng Juan could respond.
Zheng Juan stood frozen, her face pale. She knew that this controversy was far from over. She had to find a solution quickly or the consequences would be unimaginable...
Sitting in her office chair, Zheng Juan tightly grasped her phone, her heart racing, as if foreshadowing an impending storm. The screen flashed with the words "Attorney" and she took a deep breath, adjusting her composure before answering the call.
The voice of Han Tao came through the phone, urgent and angry: "Zheng Juan, how much have you been hiding from me?" His tone was filled with disappointment and reproach, as if betrayed by the one he trusted most.
Zheng Juan was taken aback by the sudden accusation, and after a moment of confusion, she replied, "What do you mean?" Her voice trembled slightly, but she still tried to maintain her composure.
"Zheng Jie isn't Xiao Ran's son, right?" Han Tao's tone became even more serious, his voice filled with suspicion and confusion.
Zheng Juan's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. She knew this secret would eventually be exposed, but she never expected it to happen so soon. She took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice calm, "Xiao Jie is indeed not Xiao Ran's son, but that has nothing to do with him hiding our marital assets!"
"Zheng Juan, do you know how dangerous your situation is now?" Han Tao's voice was filled with concern. "I just received a call from your ex-husband's attorney—do you know who he is? He Qian, the best divorce lawyer in Sucheng! I'm just a small fry in front of him! He hardly ever loses divorce cases!"
As Zheng Juan listened to Han Tao's words, a sense of defiance surged within her. She sneered and said, "Almost never losing doesn't mean never losing! Even if he's never lost before, he'll lose this time!"
Inspired by Zheng Juan's determination, Han Tao calmed down a bit and continued, "Alright, let's put that aside for now. Now, Xiao Ran is also preparing to sue, claiming that Zheng Jie is not his biological son and demanding a redistribution of marital assets as well as compensation for mental damages."
Zheng Juan's heart was filled with mixed emotions as she listened to Han Tao. She never expected Xiao Ran to be so heartless, disregarding even his own biological son. She sneered and said, "That's perfect. Everyone's demand is to redistribute marital assets—Han Attorney, have you found out how much marital assets Xiao Ran has been hiding?"
Han Tao sighed and said, "Not yet. Don't worry, I need to have a court order before I can query Xiao Ran's personal assets from the bank, which will take at least until tomorrow."
Zheng Juan nodded and said, "Alright, I'll wait for your good news." She hung up the phone, but her heart couldn't settle down. She knew that the road ahead would be even more difficult, but she was already prepared. No matter what difficulties she faced, she would persevere.
Xiao Ran sat in his small apartment, checking off items on his shopping list one by one on the computer screen. His fingers danced on the keyboard, like playing a silent melody. Although he knew deep in his heart that this was just a minor preparation for the unknown challenges ahead, he still completed the task meticulously.
He glanced at the time on the lower right corner of the screen, and it was already past four in the afternoon. The afterglow of the setting sun poured through the window, forming mottled patches of light on the floor. Xiao Ran stretched his arms and felt the exhaustion of a busy day. He stood up and walked out of the room, ready to have dinner.
Entering the elevator and pressing the floor button, the elevator door closed slowly. Just then, an auntie walked in. As soon as she saw Xiao Ran, her eyes lit up, as if she had discovered a treasure. She eagerly promoted her daughter, as if Xiao Ran was the ideal son-in-law in her heart.
"Young man, look at my daughter. How pretty she is, and her personality is so gentle. She's definitely the best choice for being a wife and a mother," the auntie spoke enthusiastically, her face beaming with pride.
Xiao Ran felt his head aching. He never liked such sudden enthusiasm. He politely rejected the auntie's offer, but she seemed to have no intention of giving up. She continued to praise her daughter incessantly, as if she wanted to instill all her merits into Xiao Ran.
Finally, the elevator reached the ground floor. Xiao Ran quickly rushed out of the elevator, escaping from this suffocating space. He looked back and saw the auntie still shouting at the elevator door, "Xiao Xiao, you haven't written down my daughter's phone number yet!"
Xiao Ran shook his head helplessly. He felt somewhat amused. The auntie was too enthusiastic, making him feel overwhelmed. But he also understood that the auntie just wanted to find a good match for her daughter.
Walking out of the gate of the community, Xiao Ran took a deep breath of fresh air. He looked up at the sky and saw that the setting sun had already sunk halfway, dyeing the sky golden yellow. He couldn't help but feel that time flies, and another day had passed in the blink of an eye.
Just then, he saw Zheng Youjun's family walking over. As soon as Zheng Jie saw Xiao Ran, he clapped his hands and pointed at him, exclaiming, "It's the bastard! The bastard is here!" Xiao Ran heard this nickname and felt somewhat helpless. He knew it was the nickname given to him by Zheng Youjun's family, obviously due to their property dispute.
When Zheng Youjun saw Xiao Ran, he immediately walked over. He pointed his finger at Xiao Ran's nose and said, "Bastard, I tell you, you can't take away a single penny of our family's property! And, you're hiding the joint property of the couple, a huge amount, which is a criminal offense!"
Xiao Ran heard these words and couldn't help but laugh. He knew Zheng Youjun was threatening him, but he wasn't afraid. He calmly replied, "Mr. Zheng, I think you might have some misunderstandings. First of all, that money is not joint property, but something I earned through my own efforts. Secondly, I haven't hidden any property. I'm just making necessary preparations for myself and my family. Finally, I want to remind you that threats and intimidation can't solve the problem. We should resolve this issue through legal channels."
Zheng Youjun's face turned ugly when he heard these words. He didn't expect Xiao Ran to respond so calmly to his threats. He glared at Xiao Ran and then left with his family.
Xiao Ran looked at their departing figures and felt somewhat heavy-hearted. He knew that this property dispute would be a long battle, but he was already prepared. He believed that justice would be on his side, and he would do his utmost to safeguard his rights and interests.
"Wait a moment, Zheng Youjun." Xiao Ran took a deep breath, seemingly making a significant decision. He calmly took out his phone and dialed a number in front of Zheng Youjun, with "Liu Mei Attorney" displayed on the screen.
Liu Mei's voice came through the phone, professional and calm: "Hello, Mr. Xiao. What can I do for you?"
Xiao Ran cleared his throat and adjusted his tone: "Hello, Liu Attorney. Someone just told me that hiding marital joint property might involve legal issues. Is that true?"
Liu Mei was obviously familiar with this issue, and she quickly replied: "Oh, Mr. Xiao, it depends on the specific situation. Generally speaking, if one party hides, transfers, sells, or destroys marital joint property during the marriage, or fabricates debts to attempt to encroach on the other party's property, during the divorce division of marital joint property, the party who hides, transfers, sells, destroys marital joint property or fabricates debts can be given less or none of the property. But regarding criminal liability, it needs to be analyzed based on specific circumstances, and usually, it won't lead to imprisonment."
Xiao Ran nodded, as if he had received the answer he wanted: "Alright, I understand. Thank you, Liu Attorney." After hanging up, he looked at Zheng Youjun leisurely, with a contemptuous smile on his lips: "Zheng Youjun, I just asked my lawyer, and what you're doing is intimidation, you know? Intimidation can really lead to criminal liability."
Zheng Youjun was taken aback by Xiao Ran's sudden counterattack. He trembled with anger, never expecting that this usually meek Xiao Ran would dare to provoke him so arrogantly now.
Seeing his father being bullied, Zheng Gang was even more enraged. He rushed forward, rolled up his sleeves, and took on a fighting stance: "Bastard, how dare you bully my dad!"
However, Xiao Ran didn't even look at him. Zheng Gang was just a spoiled rich kid in his eyes, and such a person was not worth mentioning in his opinion.
Zheng Juan was relatively calm. She walked over and tried to solve the problem rationally: "Xiao Ran, don't get too cocky too early. Even if you're arrogant now, once we prove that your current wealth is marital joint property—which is obvious—even if you're unwilling, you'll have to spit out half of it."
Xiao Ran couldn't help but laugh when he heard that. He shook his head and looked at Zheng Juan with almost a pitying gaze: "Are you really curious about how much money I have?"
This question immediately made the four members of the Zheng family's eyes light up. They were eager to know how much money they could get from Xiao Ran.
However, Xiao Ran just smiled and神秘地replied: "Hehe, you guess!" This made the four members of the Zheng family jump with anger, but they could do nothing about it because they didn't know how much money Xiao Ran had indeed.