Chapter 75: Favoritism
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Mr. Robin finally replaced his old hat, looking much more refreshed, though he still seemed somewhat uneasy on the busy, carriage-filled roads.
After Hobert stepped out of the carriage, Robin and his cousin David quickly approached. "Good morning, Lawyer Hobert."
"Good morning, both of you," Hobert smiled. "It seems your lives have improved. Looks like my advice had some effect."
"Your counsel made us see the reality of things," said Mr. Robin.
Hobert nodded slightly. Helping two misguided people see through the deceptions of this era made him quite pleased.
He led Robin and his cousin to his desk. "What difficulties have you encountered now?"
Robin looked at David, who was much taller than him and sported a small mustache. Despite his rough appearance, David, like Robin, seemed nervous in front of Hobert. "It's not about us, sir."
He hesitated before continuing. "It's about a coworker of mine. During work, a machine devoured one of his legs and an arm. He hopes to receive 300 pounds in compensation, but the factory owner only offers 100 pounds."
"He sought out a few lawyers on his own, but they all said the compensation he wanted was too high and refused to take the case. You might be his last hope."
Hobert thought back to the laws regarding worker injury compensation but found that due to his transmigration, the details were somewhat fuzzy.
He asked, "Your coworker is no longer capable of working, correct?"
"Yes," David replied. "Not only that, but he has also lost his family and now lives by begging."
"He... he hopes to get 300 pounds so he can buy a piece of land in the countryside. He said he grew up on a farm and can still work the fields, even with just one hand."
Hobert nodded. To him, 300 pounds didn't seem like an unreasonable amount of compensation.
However, he remembered a conversation with a colleague, where it was mentioned that there was an unspoken rule in factory injury cases: 100 pounds for disability and 150 for death.
Although Hobert sympathized with David's coworker, he didn't rush to give a response. "I need to speak with your coworker directly."
David nodded repeatedly. "Okay, okay. I'll bring him this afternoon."
After seeing Robin and David off, Hobert went to his bookshelf and started reviewing the civil compensation section. To his surprise, there was only one regulation regarding worker injury compensation: "Employers are obligated to cover medical expenses and provide appropriate compensation when a worker is injured."
Hobert realized it wasn't that he had forgotten the law due to transmigration; the relevant laws were simply this vague.
There was no clear distinction between compensation for injury, disability, or death, and it only mentioned that employers had an "obligation" to pay!
In cases where the law was unclear, judges would have to rely on their discretion, previous case rulings, or established unwritten rules to make a decision.
Ironically, the regulations before the worker injury laws were quite detailed about how employees should compensate employers for damages. It clearly outlined how to handle losses below 10, 10 to 20, 20 to 50, all the way up to 800 to 1000.
Hobert chuckled. "They might as well have written 'laws protecting capitalists and aristocrats' explicitly."
Returning to his desk, Hobert realized that winning David's coworker's case would be extremely difficult, even though the claim was legitimate and, in fact, modest.
Moreover, taking on such a case would likely put him at odds with some unwritten rules.
But then Hobert thought to himself, I'm a Beyonder now, with connections in high society. Why should I live as cautiously as I did in my previous life?
He decided to take the case!
Since he had been given a second chance at life, why not experience it differently?
With his mind made up, Hobert began preparing for the case.
By the time he came up with a feasible strategy, he realized it was already past 10 in the morning.
Hobert went to Barton's office to report on the conclusion of Mr. Polly's case, though he only briefly mentioned Henry's family's situation.
Mr. Polly's case was officially closed.
"I didn't know this case would involve such great danger," Barton said. If he had known, he wouldn't have assigned it to Hobert in the first place.
Hobert smiled. "Some dangers are unavoidable, but fortunately, I handled it well, and there were some benefits after the crisis."
Establishing a stable connection with official Beyonders was his greatest gain, something even access to 2-355 couldn't compare to.
"You should apply for a lawyer's certification," Barton said, shifting to the next topic. "Because of your excellent performance, I'll write you a recommendation letter and ask some friends to help ensure you have a smooth exam process."
Hobert currently held a "lawyer's assistant certificate." Only after obtaining a "lawyer's certificate" could he handle more complex criminal cases and be eligible to represent clients in formal court.
After thanking Mr. Barton, Hobert returned to his desk and began his usual self-reflection.
In handling Mr. Polly's case, he felt he hadn't made any obvious mistakes, but there were lessons to be learned: when dealing with official Beyonders, he must always consider whether he holds the upper hand, especially regarding the division of spoils.
The encounter with the official Beyonders had been rushed, leaving him little time to think. In future collaborations, he would make sure to negotiate how spoils should be divided beforehand.
As for the third case Barton assigned him, he still had to deal with it. Although there might be some risk, Hobert's growing power and expanding resources made him confident in his ability to mitigate or handle these dangers.
The key point, however, was that by actively taking on the third case, he would be utilizing the "Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence."
After completing Mr. Polly's case, Hobert felt the signs of potion digestion. If he continued using the law proactively, his potion would definitely continue to digest.
Moreover, using the "Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence" seemed to accelerate potion digestion. Hobert felt that his "Lawyer" potion was already largely digested!
As long as he kept applying the rules and continually reflecting, his digestion speed would likely increase further.