When he and his buddies had started working here, the director had specifically warned them: Lawyer Tang was a bit... off. Just keep an eye out.
The middle-aged man looked at Tang Fangjing, evidently surprised by how young the other party was, and hesitated before saying, "Are you Lawyer Tang Fangjing?"
"Of course, genuine and guaranteed. If you really don't believe me, I've got my ID right here."
As he spoke, Old Tang began to dig for his credentials from his chest pocket, took them out, and opened them for the other man to see: "See that?"
The urgency on the middle-aged man's face almost seemed sealed away by the sight of the ID, which boldly stated: "Mental Health Certificate."
The middle-aged man and the security guard both stepped back simultaneously while Old Tang also saw the cover and cursed at his mistake; he had been pulling out this ID so often lately that it had become a reflex...
The lawyer's license was in his trouser pocket!
"Ahem, got the wrong one, but it's nearly the same. In the end, it's all identification. Look, the name and photo, that's me, no mistake. My condition really isn't serious. Look, I even have my lawyer's license, and the Bar Association hasn't taken it back."
As he spoke, Old Tang quickly took out his lawyer's license, and the middle-aged man could finally confirm that the lawyer carrying two IDs with him was indeed Tang Fangjing.
Old Tang put away his documents, ready to ask what the matter was, when he saw the middle-aged man kneeling before him with a thud!
"Lawyer Tang, please save me. I really can't live anymore!"
People kneel before others for a reason, like Zhao Dehan, who had knelt down many times before. Old Tang never took him seriously.
But now, Old Tang quickly moved forward to help the man stand up, saying, "Get up, get up first. Whatever the matter, just say it. We don't do this here."
After helping the man up, he took him into the law office.
"Take a seat, brother, relax. There's no obstacle in life that can't be overcome. We've got troubles, so we'll tackle them one by one, and not think about anything else," said Old Tang soothingly.
"Go ahead and tell me, what exactly happened?"
The middle-aged man nodded, took a sip of the water Tang Fangjing offered him, and began, "Lawyer Tang, my name is Yu Jianshe. I heard about you from a friend."
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"My friend's name is Tian Nai. He said you helped him claim his wages before, and you even got stabbed for it..."
"That's why I think you're a good lawyer. Now, you're the only one I can turn to."
Tian Nai. Old Tang remembered him—the youngest among the group of workers, looking fifty though he was just over thirty. So it was a friend's recommendation. That made sense.
"I'm a truck driver. About five years ago, I had saved up some money, and together with what my parents and my wife's parents gave me, we managed a down payment and bought an apartment on Kaixuan street..."
Old Tang interjected, surprised, "Don't tell me it's the Victoria Garden complex?"
Yu Jianshe replied, equally puzzled, "Ah, Lawyer Tang, you know that complex? Yes, that's the one I bought an apartment in."
This was quite a coincidence; Old Tang gestured for him to continue.
Yu needed to get married, and naturally, he needed a house.
Fortunately, his wife was understanding, and both families contributed to the down payment.
"At the time, I hadn't thought of it as a marital home. Just felt that getting married, one should have their own place. They said it would be ready in a bit over a year, but now there's still no movement with the building!"
"Lawyer Tang, you know our line of work. It's all about luck. The last two years, my income was okay, and I could get by, but these two years, I haven't been earning money."
"Aside from driving trucks, I'm delivering takeouts or doing odd jobs in my free time, but whatever I earn isn't enough. I've got mortgage payments to make, rent to pay, and now there's baby formula to buy for my newborn child."
"Lawyer Tang, I really am trying to keep my life together..." Follow current novels on NoveIＦire.net
At this point, Yu covered his face. He was a strong man who would have stood firm if he could, never resorting to kneeling before anyone.
Old Tang's face was expressionless. He casually slid a piece of paper over and asked, "So, what happened next?"
Yu composed himself before continuing, "It's about the apartment I rent. I paid a year's rent in advance, which isn't supposed to expire until the end of the year. But last month, this guy contacts me claiming to be the landlord."
"He says he hasn't received rent for three consecutive months. That's when I found out the person I was dealing with before was just subletting. He took my rent and vanished."
"Now, the landlord is telling me to either make up for the missing payments or move out. But, Lawyer Tang, where am I supposed to find that kind of money now? I can't cope anymore..."
Calamities always seem to strike at the weakest points, seeking out those who are already burdened with misfortune.
"The bank says I'm two months overdue. They've called me, threatening to sue if I don't pay up. Lawyer Tang, what should I do now?"
Looking at the new task that popped up on his system panel, Old Tang felt relieved.
For a case , the system definitely had to issue a task!
"Let's sort this out: you're facing two main issues. One is the absconding sub-landlord; the other is the incomplete housing project, right? Just these two issues."
Other concerns, like the bank loan, go without saying: if the apartment gets delivered, you'll certainly have to repay it.
"So you want me to represent you? Then I have to be clear with you; these are two separate cases. You'll need to make two commissions. Got it?" Old Tang said, looking at Yu Jianshe.