A madman in France? How come he's always at crime scenes!

Chapter 25 You absolutely mustn't do that!

Can we get them all back?

Lu Chen raised his head, and the melancholy in his eyes vanished.

Attorney Wu said there was a solution!

Wu Liang smiled slightly.

"First of all, Mr. Lu, what are your demands?"

Lu Chen snapped out of his daze and quickly said, "At first I wanted a divorce, but now I not only want a divorce, I want her to make me pay back everything I've invested over the years."

"That's right."

Wu Liang took out a pen and turned to a new page of sticky notes.

"Your problem isn't that the other person is smarter, but that you've been playing by her rules all along."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is," Wu Liang drew two overlapping circles on the paper, "you've been thinking about how to get a divorce, how to cut your losses. But have you ever considered that since you're not even willing to consider it anymore, why isn't the initiative in your hands?"

"Because of that agreement?" Zhang Jiajing interjected.

"The agreement is a problem," Wu Liang nodded, maintaining his smile as he looked at Lu Chen, "but not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is..."

"Mr. Lu is too concerned about his reputation."

Lu Chen was speechless after hearing that.

"Zhang Jiajing, explain to Mr. Lu what he did for Su Lili and how it is written in Article 66 of the General Principles of Civil Law."

"Implicit acknowledgment of the continuation of the marital relationship?" Zhang Jiajing blurted out.

"That's right..." Seeing Lu Chen's face gradually turn dejected, Wu Liang suddenly sighed deeply.

He leaned back in his chair, his expression turning into one of utter disappointment.

"Mr. Lu, do you know what I'm most afraid of right now?"

Lu Chen was a little confused by his sudden change of expression: "What?"

"My biggest fear is that after you go back, you'll act impulsively and actually get a divorce."

Lu Chen: ?

Zhang Jiajing: ? ?

"Think about it, what does Su Lili want most right now?"

Lu Chen gritted his teeth: "It'll definitely be a divorce and a division of money."

"Right." Wu Liang slammed his hand on the table. "What was the point of all that elaborate setup? Wasn't it just because you divorced her in a fit of anger?"

"If you go to the Civil Affairs Bureau and sign the papers now, she can go live that very night to celebrate."

Lu Chen's expression grew increasingly grim.

"So," Wu Liang said earnestly, "you absolutely must not give in to her wishes."

Zhang Jiajing held her water glass, her eyes darting back and forth between Wu Liang and Lu Chen.

"Attorney Wu, do you mean... not to get a divorce?"

When Lu Chen asked that question, his voice was a little uncertain.

"I didn't say that." Wu Liang immediately waved his hand, his expression serious. "Divorce is your freedom. As a lawyer, how can I interfere with whether you get a divorce or not? I'm just helping you analyze the pros and cons."

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Look, what are Su Lili's sources of income now?"

"Live-streaming e-commerce, accepting gigs, and receiving tips from fans." Lu Chen got angry just thinking about it. "Last month, she earned this much just from live-streaming tips..."

"Stop." Wu Liang raised his hand to interrupt him. "You don't need to tell me the specific figures. You just need to know one thing: during the marriage, all of this belongs to the joint property of the couple."

Lu Chen was stunned.

"But!" Wu Liang emphasized, as if he had suddenly remembered something important, "You absolutely must not learn from those unscrupulous lawyers who teach people how to transfer assets. Things like registering a shell company and transferring income into it, or opening an account in a relative's name to receive payments—these are all illegal, and you will be held accountable if caught."

Lu Chen opened his mouth.

"Also, please don't even think about using litigation to drag things out. Although it's normal for divorce cases to last a year or two, and during that time every penny the other party earns will be half yours, we are legitimate lawyers and we can't do that kind of thing."

Lu Chen's mouth gaped open even wider.

"And the worst thing you can do," Wu Liang pounded his chest, as if expressing indignation at those unscrupulous lawyers, "is to investigate her tax issues. Influencers earn so much; have they paid all their taxes? Have they issued all their invoices? These things are better left unchecked—you'll find something wrong if you do. But you absolutely mustn't investigate now. If you get her arrested, who's going to share the profits with you?"

Zhang Jiajing silently took out a notebook from the drawer.

"Oh, right," Wu Liang said, as if remembering something, slapping his forehead, "there's one more thing you must be careful about."

Lu Chen stopped talking and just stared straight at Wu Liang.

"Do you know what the biggest fear of being an internet celebrity is?"

"What?"

"She's stopped updating." Wu Liang sighed. "Think about it, if an internet celebrity doesn't update for three days, her fans start urging her to update. If she doesn't update for a week, her popularity drops. If she doesn't update for a month, the platform's algorithm will stop promoting her."

He looked into Lu Chen's eyes, his tone as sincere as could be.

"So please, whatever you do, don't apply for asset preservation during the court hearing. If the court preserves her account, she won't be able to update it. If she can't update it, she won't have any income, and if she doesn't have any income, you won't get any money either. Isn't that a lose-lose situation?"

"And regarding those business collaborations, please don't remind the brands that Su Lili is involved in marital property disputes or that the debt relationships are unclear. Brands are most afraid of this; they'll cancel their orders as soon as they hear that. If she loses business, won't your total amount of joint property decrease?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen's breathing noticeably quickened.

Zhang Jiajing took notes in her notebook very quickly.

"Mr. Lu."

Wu Liang composed himself and said seriously.

"What I just said is what I, as your lawyer, must remind you not to do. We are a legitimate law firm, and you must pursue legal action through proper channels."

"My advice is simple: go back and don't mention divorce. Continue living your life as usual, and go to work as usual. But—"

He then changed the subject.

"You can go through the household accounts, sort out her income details, make copies of those business contracts, and take screenshots of the platform tipping records. All of this is legal, after all, spouses have the right to know."

"And then?" Lu Chen pressed.

"Then you just wait," Wu Liang smiled, "and wait for her to slip up on her own. The worst thing for someone who makes a living off online traffic is waiting. You can afford to wait, but she can't."

Lu Chen sat there, silent for a long time.

Zhang Jiajing stole a glance at him and noticed that the man, who had looked like a wilted eggplant before, was now darting around with his eyes.

"Attorney Wu," Lu Chen suddenly spoke up, "what if... I mean, what if I accidentally discovered her tax problems?"

Wu Liang frowned, looking as if he had been offended.

"Mr. Lu, didn't I just say? Don't investigate. While every citizen has the right and obligation to report tax evasion, as her spouse, if you report it and she goes to jail, it won't look good for you, right?"

After saying this, he stood up and turned his back to Lu Chen, as if he were talking to himself.

"However, if the tax bureau finds out on its own, then it has nothing to do with you. The tax bureau has a big data screening system, and high-income groups like online celebrities are always a key target. It's only a matter of time before they find out."

Lu Chen suddenly stood up.

"Attorney Wu, thank you! I understand."

"What do you know?" Wu Liang turned around, looking wary. "I've told you so many things you can't do, don't misunderstand."

"No, no," Lu Chen waved his hands repeatedly. "I just feel that you're right, I shouldn't have rushed into a divorce."

"That's right."

Wu Liang nodded in satisfaction, walked back to his desk, and took out an agency agreement from the drawer.

"If you decide not to get a divorce, then let's sign a legal counsel contract first. If Su Lili causes any trouble in the future, I'll keep an eye on her for you, so you don't get scammed without even realizing it."

Without saying a word, Lu Chen took out a pen and signed, transferring the money without hesitation.

After seeing off the light-footed Lu Chen, Zhang Jiajing turned to look at Wu Liang, who was pouring her a glass of water, her eyes full of admiration.

"Boss, how long does it take to develop your ability to lie through your teeth like this?"

Wu Liang glanced at her with displeasure.

"What nonsense! I'm doing this for the client's own good, reminding him what he should and shouldn't do!"