pjbooks Chapter 1127: Lawyer's Call
Chapter 1127: Lawyer's Call
Chen Zhe had clearly given this issue serious thought. He said, "Chen Wuhen is in tenth grade now. If we can get his custody back, I will transfer him to a school in China. Given his current level of Chinese, I plan to enroll him in an international school first. There are many such schools in Shanghai, so he can gradually adapt."
"If he wants to study at a university in Australia or go elsewhere in the future, that's up to him. The key is to make sure he learns Chinese well and knows where his roots are."
Huang Xiaochuan reminded Chen Zhe: "The idea is feasible, but you'll probably have to put in a lot more effort. Your son is already fifteen or sixteen years old, which is the rebellious phase. If you're too forceful, he might rebel against you. You need to be prepared for that in advance."
Chen Zhe smiled bitterly, regretting once again that he hadn't been more determined to get custody of his son when he was in a strong position.
However, he still said, "So I want to spend a few days getting to know Chen Wuhen better and hear his thoughts."
"That's right, it seems you've thought of everything." Huang Xiaochuan then picked up his glass: "Come on, let's have a drink. You don't need to worry about the lawsuit. These next few days, you should see your child and spend time with him. Leave the rest to the lawyer. If there's anything else you can't handle, just call me anytime."
Chen Zhe nodded, and the two clinked glasses.
After taking a sip of his drink, Chen Zhe asked, "When does your academic forum start?"
"Starting tomorrow, for two days, I'll just show my face tomorrow. I won't attend the meeting the day after tomorrow; I'll be accompanying Huang Ruiying to the Great Barrier Reef."
Chen Zhe and Chen Qiao had visited the Great Barrier Reef during their honeymoon, so they remembered it vividly.
"That place is really nice, pristine and unpolluted, especially the coral reefs on the seabed, which are particularly spectacular and beautiful."
The two chatted about the Great Barrier Reef for quite a while, and finally Huang Xiaochuan looked at his watch: "Alright, it's getting late. We both have things to do tomorrow, so get some rest. Gao Song will contact you tomorrow after he's finished contacting the lawyer."
Chen Zhe stood up, swaying slightly, and said, "Okay, I'm going back to my room." He then staggered to his room.
Huang Xiaochuan wasn't worried about him, because the hotel had 24-hour butler service, and someone was already waiting outside the door to take care of Chen Zhe at any time.
At 10 a.m. the next day, Chen Zhe met with a lawyer from the Black Dawson law firm, explained his demands, and provided his current financial situation and professional status as required by the lawyer. The lawyer accepted the case.
Just after four o'clock in the afternoon, Chen Qiaojia's phone rang.
"Hello, is this Ms. Alicia Jon?" A man's voice came from the other end of the phone.
"I am, who are you?" Chen Qiao, who had changed her name to Alicia Jon, asked.
"Hello Ms. Jon, my name is Marcus Gray, a senior partner at the law firm Black Dawson. I am here on behalf of my client, Mr. Chen Zhe, to have an initial discussion with you regarding the custody of your son, Thomas Jon. This conversation will be recorded in its entirety."
Chen Qiao's face instantly darkened.
She hadn't expected that Chen Zhe's trip to Australia was actually about the custody of their son, and that he had come prepared; they had only met last night, and today the lawyer called.
Her voice suddenly became agitated: "Guardianship? What right does he have to talk to me about guardianship? Thomas has always been in my custody; I've been taking care of him all these years!"
"Ms. Jon, please don't get agitated. I'm just contacting you as part of the procedure. My client still hopes to resolve this matter through negotiation. Of course, if negotiation fails, then we can only resolve it through legal channels."
Chen Qiao sneered and asked, "Negotiation? How does he want to negotiate?"
"My client is willing to pay you a reasonable compensation, the specific amount of which can be discussed, but on the condition that..."
Unfortunately, Marcus Gray was interrupted by Chen Qiao before he could finish speaking: "Impossible! Tell Chen Zhe to give up on that idea. There's no room for negotiation on custody. He wants to sue, right? Then let him!"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone: "Ms. Jon, I suggest you calm down and think this over carefully. According to Australian law, if a case goes to court, the judge will consider many factors, including but not limited to your financial situation, the child's wishes, and the upbringing environment. I can tell you responsibly that if you insist on refusing to negotiate, then we will have no choice but to go through legal proceedings."
Chen Qiao snorted coldly: "Don't try to scare me. I've lived in Australia for so many years, I know the law, and I'm waiting for you to take legal action."
Gray's tone remained calm and unhurried: "Ms. Jon, I'm not trying to scare you, but stating the facts. Furthermore, I must remind you that in custody cases, judges examine how child support is used. To the best of my knowledge, my client has been paying the full amount of child support on time every month. Based on the current situation, we have reason to suspect that this money has not been fully used for your son Thomas's education and living expenses..."
This struck a nerve with Chen Qiao, and her voice immediately rose eight octaves: "What do you mean? Are you implying that I misappropriated child support? You'd better have evidence, or I can sue you for defamation."
"Ms. Jon, please don't get agitated. This is standard investigative procedure. If you didn't do such a thing, that's certainly for the best. Well, that concludes our communication for today. If you change your mind, please feel free to contact me anytime. I presume your home phone has caller ID. Goodbye!"
After hanging up the phone, Chen Qiao's mind started racing. It seemed that Chen Zhe was serious this time. He had never hired a lawyer to discuss this kind of matter before. At most, he would come to her to discuss it himself, and usually, after she refused, the matter would be dropped.
But this time it seems different.
After sitting for a while, Chen Qiao gradually calmed down.
She picked up the phone again and called Chen Zhe.
But she was rejected. She called back, and was rejected again. Undeterred, she called again with her own phone, and this time the call was immediately dropped.
Chen Qiao understood, and her face turned extremely pale. Chen Zhe blocked her number.
She paced back and forth in the living room, thinking of a solution. After a while, she picked up her phone and made another call.
"Thomas, do you know which hotel your dad is staying at?"
Chen Wuhen on the other end of the phone was taken aback for a moment, but he still told Chen Qiao, "It seems to be the Park Hyatt Hotel, but I don't know the room number..."
Before Chen Wuhen could finish speaking, Chen Qiao hung up the phone. She went back to her bedroom, changed her clothes, grabbed her bag, and went out.
I'm currently reading Chapter 1127 of the novel, "The Lawyer Calls," and I'm completely engrossed in it.