Chapter 75: False Alarm
Was moving to a new home really so difficult?
Zhang Fei was speechless.
But… But he still had to call for help.
He was just about to shout for help as usual when he suddenly felt a lightness in his body…!
Huh? Why didn’t they hit me? Oh no! Could it be that they’re taking me somewhere else to kill me and silence me?
The more Zhang Fei thought about it, the more scared he became. He couldn’t help but struggle violently. Just as he was about to shout for help, he suddenly felt himself being released. Before he could react, everything brightened before his eyes. Because the time was too short, he wasn’t blinded by the sudden light. He found himself now inside the hall of his own house, where a young master was sitting—it was none other than Cao Dongdong.
Li Si was being pressed on the shoulder by a guy beside him.
“Young Master?”
Zhang Fei was dumbfounded.
Cao Dongdong immediately exclaimed, “Do you still remember me?” Zhang Fei also became excited, “Young Master, what are you doing? Playing a prank? This is not funny at all.”
He really couldn’t understand what was going on.
“I wanted to frighten you.”
“Frighten me?”
Zhang Fei was puzzled.
Cao Dongdong said, “You promised me before, that you would me with my lawsuit. I’ve given you everything you’ve asked for, but how many days have passed since then? You’re just busy with your own affairs, and you even moved to a new house. Do you know how I’ve been getting by these days?”
Zhang Fei felt a little embarrassed and asked, “How have you been getting by?”
“I haven’t had the mood to go drinking with Little Ma and the others,” Cao Dongdong said, both aggrieved and angry.
“Is it that bad?”
“What do you think? Lin Fei keeps coming over to ask me about his demands, how can I have the mood to drink?”
“But last time I heard Little Xiao Ma, you guys went to Floating Fragrance Inn to drink wine?”
“It was… it was that day that I realized I didn’t have the mood to drink.”
“Oh… this is a misunderstanding!”
Zhang Fei said, “This is truly a misunderstanding.”
Cao Dongdong snorted, “What misunderstanding, you clearly haven’t been taking my matters seriously. If I don’t scare you today, you’ll just forget about me again.”
What is that woman up to? Zhang Fei cursed inwardly, but sighed heavily, “This is really a misunderstanding. Actually, I’ve been helping you all along, you just didn’t know.”
Cao Dongdong gave him a suspicious glance, “What do you mean by that?”
“I deliberately delayed matters.”
“What are you saying?”
“First, don’t rush, let me finish,” Zhang Fei said, “Actually, I’m sure now that we won’t lose in court.”
Cao Dongdong excitedly said, “Then why delay? I’ll go scold him now, and then we’ll go to court and clear our names.”
He had been threatened by the instructor for so long, that this resentment was almost fermenting into alcohol. He had been hoping all along stop with the pretences and give him a good scolding.
Zhang Fei said, “But your goal is not only to win the lawsuit in court, but also to ensure that neither the Grand Empress Dowager nor the Empress Dowager blame you.”
Cao Dongdong’s body trembled slightly, and his tone suddenly became humble, “Yes, yes, do you have any ideas?”
“I do!”
Zhang Fei said, “But there are still some details that need to be worked out. We must be careful and ensure that nothing goes wrong.”
Cao Dongdong nodded vigorously, “Yes, yes, nothing must go wrong.”
Zhang Fei continued, “So, please wait a few more days.”
Cao Dongdong glanced at him cautiously and asked, “How long do I have to wait now?”
Zhang Fei gave him a confident smile, “Rest assured, I will arrange everything as soon as possible. There will be news very soon. If you keep pressing me like this, there might be a risk of missing some details, and all our previous efforts might be wasted.”
Cao Dongdong scrutinized him for a moment, “Can I trust you again this time?”
Zhang Fei smiled, “Just trust me. I wasn’t even afraid of Director Wang, let alone dealing with some small-time instructor.”
“That’s true.”
Cao Dongdong nodded repeatedly, “Even my father says you’re nothing but a rascal, yet you’ve managed to survive until now. Quite strange!”
“…”
“Young Master, is there anything else?”
“No.”
“Then hurry and go on back.”
“Are you not inviting me for a drink in your new house?”
“You said you didn’t have the mood for drinking, didn’t you?”
“Now I do.”
“Go find Little Ma then.”
Fifteen minutes later…
With a creak, the back door opened, and a man stuck his head out, looked around, then turned back and said, “Young Master, no one’s there.”
“Let’s go!”
Cao Dongdong led his men out one by one and soon disappeared at the end of the alley.
Afterward, Zhang Fei appeared at the door, shaking his head and sighing, “There’s no time for me to even catch my breath.”
Just as he was about to close the door, he saw the opposite door open.
Xu Zhiqian appeared at the doorway. Seeing Zhang Fei’s stern gaze, she hurriedly said, “It’s none of my business, I didn’t curse you, I swear.”
It turned out that she got a little scared while talking earlier, so she decided to come over and see. Fortunately, she recognized one of the men as someone from Cao Dongdong’s side, so she didn’t escalate the misunderstanding.
Zhang Fei was taken aback and asked, “What are you talking about?”
Xu Zhiqian blinked her beautiful eyes and asked back, “What are you staring at? “
“What am I staring at?” Zhang Fei was immediately annoyed, “Although this time it has nothing to do with your jinx, it’s because you’ve delayed matters for so long that Cao Dongdong had to come here. I don’t blame him; he’s a client, and he has every right to be angry.”
Xu Zhiqian looked a bit guilty, “I’m sorry…”
Zhang Fei waved his hand, “No need to apologize. I need reasons. You’ve been delaying for so long after the first visit. What exactly are you up to?”
Xu Zhiqian hesitated for a moment and said, “I… I want to persuade Instructor Lin to give up blackmailing Cao Dongdong.”
Zhang Fei frowned slightly, “Why?”
“Because…”
Xu Zhiqian bit her lip, hesitated for a while, then said, “Because once it goes to court, Instructor Lin will face extremely serious consequences. This isn’t just simple extortion. Cao Dongdong is an Imperial In-law, and his father is the Deputy Commander of the Infantry.”
Zhang Fei said, “He deserves it.”
Xu Zhiqian continued, “Yes, he deserves it, but what drove him to this path? He risked his life several times, made great contributions to the empire, and didn’t even get a proper reward. Instead, those sons of officials, relying on their family background, kept rising in the ranks, which led him to take desperate measures.”
Zhang Fei sighed, “Actually, you’re not on the side of fairness and justice. You’ve been standing on the side of the disadvantaged. If it were Cao Dongdong committing the crime, you definitely wouldn’t say the same thing.”
“I…”
Xu Zhiqian pursed her lips and suddenly asked, “Then what about the Ayun case?”
“I’ve said it before. I did it out of gratitude, not out of pity or sympathy for her. In any case, I will defend all the rights of my client within the law. That’s my principle.”
“Mine too.”
Zhang Fei smiled, “I’m all ears.”
Xu Zhiqian said, “As long as this matter escalates, then no matter what, it would not be good for the Cao family’s reputation. It will also affect the two empress dowagers. If I can persuade Lin Fei to back off and settle the matter peacefully, wouldn’t it be better for Cao Dongdong?”
Zhang Fei smiled, “That’s why I didn’t reject your suggestion either.”
Xu Zhiqian was stunned for a moment and exclaimed in surprise, “You agree to let me try and persuade Lin Fei?”
“If you’re confident, of course you can try,” Zhang Fei said, “There are no guaranteed wins in court. No one knows what will happen in the courtroom. If we can avoid getting to that point, it’s the best outcome for Cao Dongdong, and for everyone involved.”
“But once I try to persuade Instructor Lin, he will inevitably know that Cao Dongdong has been deceiving him.”
“That’s right. It’s risky. If you don’t go, our chances of winning will indeed be slightly higher. But if you succeed, we will gain a lot. After all, this involves the royal family. Handling it discreetly is in our client’s best interest. Even if it were me, I would try. That is the creed of a pen-in-cap.”
Xu Zhiqian felt greatly encouraged and looked at Zhang Fei excitedly, “Thank you.”
Zhang Fei smiled, “I wish you success.”
With that, he turned and went back inside.
Back in the courtyard, he called for Li Si.
“Brother San, what are your orders?”
“Go to the Ma Family and ask Little Ma to come over.”
“Alright.”
Zhang Fei scratched his head, “I still need to be prepared for both possibilities!”