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

Chapter 54 How about you come with me to the Zhang family?

The worst thing is when the air suddenly goes quiet~

Wu Liang naturally moved his body a step to the side.

The aura of a righteous messenger descending from the sky just moments before instantly transformed into that of passersby cooperating with the investigation.

Wu Liang coughed, trying to save face: "It seems that things are slightly different from what I just understood."

"Is it just a little bit?" Zhang Jiajing muttered softly.

Wu Liang pretended not to hear.

The man in overalls pointed at Lin Zhiyi, his voice urgent: "Attorney Wu, we're not unreasonable people. We just want our wages. Their company has been dragging its feet for three months, saying it's a financial audit one day, and then saying there's no funding the next. We don't understand any of this; we only know that we did the work, and we haven't received a single penny."

Another man, clutching his hat, said, "My family really needs the money. Who would bother staking out people so late at night if they had no other choice?"

Lin Zhiyi pursed her lips and did not refute.

Wu Liang flipped through the papers, and his expression gradually became serious.

Although the attendance sheet, project quantity confirmation sheet, and labor settlement sheet are not complete, the core facts are already very clear.

There's work, people, signatures, and money.

This is no longer just a simple argument.

Wu Liang looked at Lin Zhiyi: "Ms. Lin, what is your role in this project?"

"Project Coordinator," Lin Zhiyi said calmly, "I'm neither the company's legal representative nor the financial manager. I signed the confirmation form because the on-site work was indeed completed. But payment approval isn't with me."

Who is the general contractor?

Lin Zhiyi paused for a moment: "Hongyuan Construction."

Wu Liang's eyebrows twitched slightly, as if he had heard the same name somewhere before.

"Does your company subcontract?"

"The labor subcontracting is registered under our company's name, but the actual construction team is them." Lin Zhiyi glanced at the two men. "I'm not denying the debt, but we haven't received the corresponding project payment in our accounts."

"Understood."

Wu Liang folded the receipt and returned it to the man in work clothes.

"Gentlemen, please listen to me first. Blocking her now is really not going to do any good."

The man in overalls frowned: "You just said you'd help us settle this, and now you're taking her side?"

"Brother, don't be hasty. Let me explain this to you from a legal perspective first, and you can see if it makes sense."

Wu Liang pointed at Lin Zhiyi.

"She is not the legal representative, nor the actual payer, nor the general contractor. If you block her here, the most she can do is write a letter of commitment. No matter how well the letter of commitment is written, if there is no money in her personal account, your wages will still be wasted."

The two men exchanged a glance and remained silent for a moment.

Wu Liang continued, "Besides, your top priority right now is to secure the evidence and file a complaint with the labor inspection brigade first thing tomorrow morning. Don't just argue with the project department. You have more people, the amount is clear, and the materials are complete. Getting a referee is a piece of cake."

The man in overalls pointed at Lin Zhiyi: "And what about her?"

"There's no way to escape it." Wu Liang looked at Lin Zhiyi.

"Ms. Lin, since you signed the confirmation form, it at least proves that the work actually took place. You should now provide a written explanation, clearly stating the reason for the unpaid wages and the scope of your authority. This will help you avoid suffering unnecessary consequences."

"This statement is in triplicate. Give them one copy, give the labor inspector one copy, and keep one copy for yourself. If you really want to resolve this issue, this is the bare minimum of sincerity you need to show."

Lin Zhiyi looked at him.

Wu Liang spoke in a kind tone, his voice steady and clear, carrying a weight that made people subconsciously want to listen attentively.

[A voice as firm as a rock].

Standing to the side, Zhang Jiajing clearly noticed that the two men's emotions were gradually declining.

He then looked at Wu Liang with suspicion.

Could this guy have actually learned some kind of evil trick like hypnosis or poison?

The man in overalls, his eyes red, asked, "Attorney Wu, can what you're saying really help us get our money back?"

"I can't guarantee 100% success," Wu Liang said frankly, "but it's better than you guys harassing her tonight. If you keep harassing her like this, you won't get the money, and you might even get dealt with by the police for restricting personal freedom and causing trouble. Who will lose out in that case?"

The two men exchanged a glance.

That's not a pleasant thing to say, but it's the truth.

The other man gritted his teeth: "Then can you help us?"

Wu Liang handed over the business card he had just received.

"Bring your materials to Yuanda Law Firm at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I'll help you organize the complaint materials first, and we'll talk about the fees later."

The man in overalls carefully slipped the business card into his pocket. The other man seemed about to say something, but in the end, he simply nodded at Wu Liang.

"Then let's go tomorrow."

"Notify everyone before you go," Wu Liang added. "The more complete the materials, the easier things will be."

The two responded repeatedly, glanced at Lin Zhiyi again, and finally stopped blocking her way, turning to head towards the alley entrance.

Once everyone left, the alley became quiet.

Lin Zhiyi stood still, tidied her hair which had been ruffled by the night wind, and nodded slightly to Wu Liang.

"Thank you for earlier."

"Not really," Wu Liang waved his hand. "I'm mainly worried they might actually take action, which would cause trouble for the police officers."

Zhang Jiajing said quietly from the side, "That's not what the boss said when he rushed up just now."

Wu Liang remained expressionless: "You misheard."

Lin Zhiyi looked at the two of them, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

She took a business card out of her bag and handed it to her.

"If they really come to you tomorrow, they can contact me if they need my cooperation on any of the documents."

Wu Liang took the business card and glanced at it.

The business card was simply designed, with white background and black lettering, without any unnecessary decorations. Below the words "Hongyuan Construction," there was a very small line listing its business scope: urban complexes, old city renovation, and municipal infrastructure projects.

Wu Liang felt that the name "Hongyuan Construction" sounded familiar, but having just finished dealing with Su Lili that night, and with a bunch of marriage laws still on his mind, he didn't think about it too much.

"Okay." He put the business card away. "But Ms. Lin, if I may offer a word of advice, the issue of migrant workers' wages is most prone to delays. The longer it drags on, the more complicated the accounts become, and the more anxious people get."

Lin Zhiyi remained silent for a moment.

"I know."

She looked up at the night view at the end of the alley.

"We're just caught in the middle with some of the money; the real money is tied up outside the project department."

Wu Liang raised an eyebrow slightly.

……

It was almost 10:30 when I got back to the law firm.

As soon as Zhang Jiajing entered the room, she threw her bag onto the sofa and finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Boss, rescuing a damsel in distress at the scene of unpaid wages, not everyone would do something like that."

Wu Liang paused in taking off his coat, his face turning dark.

"Watch your wording. What do you mean by 'a hero saving a damsel in distress'? I was acting as a legal professional, stopping a potential social conflict from escalating."

"Oh—" Zhang Jiajing drawled out.

Wu Liang slowly turned his head and said fiercely.

"Do you still want your bonus this month?!"

Zhang Jiajing immediately shut up.

But the corners of his mouth were still turning up in a crazy smile.

Wu Liang ignored her, sat down behind his desk, and took out the business card Lin Zhiyi had handed him and glanced at it.

Hongyuan Construction.

This name does sound familiar.

But I can't remember where I heard it right now.

He casually tucked the business card into the case file, then took out materials from the drawer about Lu Chen's case and flipped through them. Su Lili had suffered a setback today, and it wasn't going to end there anytime soon.

If you can't win an argument based on facts, then you should cry.

After packing up her lunchbox and bag, Zhang Jiajing suddenly poked her head out of the dormitory door.

"Boss."

"what?"

"I'm going home tomorrow."

Wu Liang didn't even look up: "Go back, the law firm isn't a coal mine."

"I mean, I'm going back to my parents' place," Zhang Jiajing sighed. "They've already arranged three blind dates for me: two with civil servants and one with a bank account manager."

Wu Liang finally looked up: "The conditions are not bad."

"What's so great about it?" Zhang Jiajing rolled her eyes. "Now, just hearing the words 'blind date' gives me a headache. Do you know what my mom said? She said if I don't find a partner soon, in two years I'll only be able to find divorced women with kids."

Wu Liang thought about it carefully.

"From the perspective of supply and demand in the marriage market, your mother's words, though harsh, are not entirely without statistical basis."

Zhang Jiajing: "..."

She took a deep breath and tried to smile.

"So boss, I suddenly have a bold idea."

Wu Liang leaned back warily: "You want an advance on your salary?"

"No." Zhang Jiajing's eyes sparkled. "Do you want to come home with me?"

There was a two-second silence in the office.

Wu Liang slowly put down his pen.

"Zhang Jiajing, let me remind you, workplace harassment is not allowed in our law firm."

"Who's bothering you!" Zhang Jiajing blushed and stomped her foot in frustration. "I meant pretending! Pretending to be my boyfriend! Just for one meal, to help me get past the pressure to get married. If my mom and the others see you're a professional lawyer, they might feel more at ease."

Wu Liang looked her up and down, his expression suddenly becoming extremely serious.

"I can't help you with this."

Zhang Jiajing was taken aback: "Why?"

Wu Liang said in a somber tone: "A person must have a bottom line."

"ha?"

"You asked me to pretend to be your boyfriend, which is fraud against your parents, a disgrace to my professional image, and a potential conflict of interest for our legal status as a party that may take over your family's legal affairs in the future."

Zhang Jiajing was stunned.

Wu Liang continued, "More importantly, you haven't passed the bar exam yet, you failed your driver's license test twice, and you only earn 4,000 yuan a month with room and board included. Given my overall qualifications, if I were to suddenly play your boyfriend, it could easily lead your parents to have unrealistic expectations."

Zhang Jiajing's expression gradually froze.

"Wu... Liang!!!"

"Eh."

Do you think you're funny?

"I'm just stating objective facts."

"You deserve to be single!"

Zhang Jiajing angrily picked up her suitcase, the wheels making a series of angry rumbling sounds on the floor.

As she reached the dormitory entrance, she turned back and glared at him fiercely.

"Don't call me during the National Day holiday! Unless the law firm catches fire!"

boom!

The door was slammed shut.

Wu Liang sat in his seat and touched his nose.

"Young man, why can't you hear the truth?"