Empire of Shadows

The Federation's laws are so complex that many lawyers would never consider practicing in another state.

It's not just a matter of complexity; the laws are constantly changing!

The Federal Congress proposes amendments, deletions, and additions to the Constitution and federal laws every year, sometimes several times, even dozens of times, constantly changing.

If it were just that, it wouldn't be a big problem.

But local laws are the same; they also undergo many changes every year.

For example, the state that prohibits standing while urinating at night has amended the "no standing while urinating at night" law many times.

Initially, it was only prohibited after 11 p.m., but they felt this was too inhumane, so they changed it to prohibit splashing water and making loud noises while urinating.

Later, they found this was still difficult to enforce, so they required that the faucet not be more than a certain distance from the water surface while urinating, effectively prohibiting standing while urinating.

Then came the modification of the time, because some people believed they went to bed earlier than ordinary people, so it became不定时 (undetermined time).

As long as it's dark, and someone is heard urinating too loudly, and someone hears it and reports it to the police, the person urinating will be in trouble.

The Federation's laws seem like a joke, absurd and impractical, so it's difficult for lawyers to keep up with the laws of every state.

And even within a single region, they can't be experts in every field of law; many can only handle a specific area.

Professional lawsuits require professional lawyers. Alberto had previously given Lance a business card with the name "Robben" and a landline phone number.

He dialed the number, and someone answered quickly, "Robben \u0026 Associates, how may I help you?"

It was a woman who answered the phone, sounding young. "I have a case I'd like to discuss with Mr. Robben. Is he available to take a call right now?"

"One moment..." After about ten seconds, "Mr. Robben is available now. Before I transfer you, may I ask who referred you?"

"Mr. Alberto Corti referred me."

"Very well, I'll make a note of that. Would you like to schedule an appointment for another time, or would you like to come in now?"

"Now."

"Alright, I'll give you the address..."

Lance had Morris accompany Ennio to the police station. He instructed Ennio that no matter what anyone said, he should not confess.

Even if they beat him severely, he should not admit to any charges. Everything should wait until the lawyer arrives.

He went directly to Robben's office. This case would likely go to court, as aggravated assault is a criminal offense.

The only good news was that the person hadn't died, and the matter wasn't complicated. Ennio staying at the scene should be considered a form of self-surrender. Now, Lance just needed to minimize the consequences.

Robben \u0026 Associates was located in the Bay Area, which shows how much these lawyers earned. They were possibly in the legal profession in the Federation with the highest upper and lower limits, without exception.

Especially some divorce lawyers and financial litigation lawyers, their legal fees were charged as a percentage of the case value.

After parking the car, Lance quickly saw the young woman at the front desk. She led Lance directly to Robben's office and brought him a nice cup of coffee.

"My consultation fee is forty dollars per hour, with any portion of an hour counted as a full hour. If you need me to represent you, I charge different fees depending on the complexity of the case."

"Two hundred dollars to start, with no upper limit."

"Since Mr. Corti referred you, you should know what type of lawyer I am. Are you sure you want to begin?"

Lance sat down and nodded. "Let's begin."

Robben pressed the timer on his desk, and the timer started running. "I don't yet know how to address you."

"Lance, Lance White."

"Mr. White, tell me what problem you want me to solve for you."

Lance briefly explained the situation, including his actions upon arriving at the scene. Robben was somewhat surprised. "You did very well. The court often adopts the notes and descriptions from the initial crime scene. This case isn't complicated."

"And your friend stayed at the scene and waited for the police to arrive, even though he didn't call the police himself, that's still considered a form of self-surrender."

"Immigrant, self-surrender, provoked..." Robben chewed on his thumbnail for a moment. "The injured person must have used very nasty words to curse your friend."

"Such as 'imperial bastard' or something like that. No offense intended, I'm just reconstructing what happened at the scene."

"Verbal threats, discrimination, intimidation... as you said, your friend got nervous, and then something happened that we all didn't want to see."

"Now, the first thing to do is to try to get the victim's forgiveness. It would be best if he could choose to settle, so you can resolve this matter with the least amount of money."

"Hundreds, even one or two thousand, two or three thousand, as long as money can solve it, I don't think it's a problem."

Gaining the victim's forgiveness is always a very difficult thing. Some victims would rather be beaten again than agree to forgive.

"If he's not willing to forgive..."

"Mr. White, don't forget what you do. I shouldn't have to teach you."

Lance was silent for a moment. "If he had run away at the time..."

Robben scratched his head. "But he didn't leave, did he?"

"Now saying these things is meaningless. Of course, as my personal advice, if you can run away, it's best to run away."

"You know, Goldenport City's police force is limited, and..." He gestured to Lance's fine attire. "...a gentleman like you must have ways. Sometimes we don't refuse to take responsibility, but sometimes there's no need to be impulsive."

Lance nodded after listening. Ennio was ultimately not an "evil person," just a bit impulsive.

He could have just walked away, but after realizing that what he did was indeed a bit excessive, he decided to take responsibility, which can't be considered a bad thing.

There's a good side and a bad side, but Lance felt that if he thought doing so would bring him peace, then he would support him.

This might be a lesson and a growth for him and others, allowing them to become better.

"Lawyer Robben, I'm very confident in your professional abilities. If I want you to defend my brother."

"How much will I need to pay you for that?"

"That depends on what you want me to achieve," Robben said, putting his hand down. "Mr. White, how much money are you willing to spend for your friend?"

Lance asked, "Is there a difference?"

"Of course, there is. If you don't want to waste too much money, this case will cost you five hundred dollars, and I can guarantee his sentence will be within eighteen months."

"If you want him to come out a little earlier, two thousand dollars, and I guarantee he'll be out in a year."

"But if you think that's still too long, then five thousand dollars, and he'll be standing in front of you in six months."

Lance was a little curious. "Can it be shorter?"

Lawyer Robben looked at Lance with a somewhat strange expression. "Your relationship must be extraordinary."

He might have misunderstood something. Recently, the gay plague has been very popular, and many people have contracted the disease. They call this disease "God's punishment for mistakes," and people have not yet realized the seriousness.

At the same time, many traditional people believe that this disease will only spread among gays, and they even use the presence of thrush as a criterion for judging whether someone is gay based on the manifestations of these diseases.

Before long, the Federation, and even the world, will be shocked by this disease, but now it is just seen by people as God's punishment for wrong choices, and nothing else.

Lance explained, "Every brother is my family."

Robben showed a meaningful smile on his face. "But many people don't think so..." He paused for a moment, then re-examined Lance's attire.

Very beautiful clothes, tailored, three-dimensional, exquisite, and very well-fitting, they must be custom-made.

The material also looks good, with ribbons on the hat, all of which are synonymous with "expensive."

"Eight thousand dollars, and he can get medical parole in three months."

"Don't ask me how to do it, that's my business."

"And don't ask me what will happen if I can't do it, because if I can't do it, I won't say it."

Lance was very satisfied after hearing this. "Do I give you the money now?"

Robben nodded and said, "Give me six thousand dollars first, this part is not for me to take myself, you understand what I mean."

"The rest is mine, give it to me after the lawsuit is over."

"Cash?"

"Preferably."

Lance had plenty of cash and valuables. He went outside to use a phone and had Melo arrange for someone to send six thousand dollars over, while he went back to sign the contract with Robben.

While signing the contract, Robben didn't forget to promote other services. "If you're worried about your brother suffering inside, I also have some value-added services here."

"For example... a single room, if he's not used to the food inside, I can arrange a steak for him every day."

"Is he interested in women?"

"I can also arrange that for him. Except for not being able to come out directly, I accept all customized services here, as long as you have money."

Lance looked at Robben, who was promoting his services like a salesman, and suddenly realized why he specialized in gang business.

This is a skill beyond business ability, but it must be said that people do need it.

"My brother's arm is injured and hasn't recovered yet. I hope he can have a single room, and also arrange some nutritious food for him every day. It's best if he doesn't have to work..."

Luo Ben recorded some of Lance's requests, and finally calculated a number, "Four hundred and fifty yuan per month, no bargaining..."

After paying a large sum of money, Luo Ben also showed his very professional side. He immediately took his briefcase and went to the Imperial District Branch with Lance.

In the branch, Enio was not treated maliciously. When he saw Lance coming, he and the others stood up, so that the policeman sitting opposite him also stood up a little nervously.

After all, Lance's imposing manner didn't look like an ordinary person.

"This is Lawyer Luo Ben, he will represent your case."

Enio squeezed out some smiles, shook hands with Luo Ben, thanked him for his help, and then walked to the corner with Lance.

Standing aside, Luo Ben glanced at Lance's back with some surprise, but not so surprisingly.

According to the regulations, at this time, no one except the lawyer can contact Enio alone, but they not only contacted him, but also talked in the corner.

"I talked to Luo Ben, you will be able to come out in three months."

Enio was a little nervous, "Will I go to jail?"

Lance scratched the back of his neck, "You should have thought about the result when you stayed where you were. I won't say you did it wrong. You faced this matter, no matter what the consequences it brings, we will accept it."

"Lawyer Luo Ben will tell you how to face the police's questioning, and some things after the court hearing. Leave the rest to us."

"It's only three months, and I have also chosen a luxury single package for you."

Enio's attention was attracted by this suddenly popping up term, "What is that?"

"Single room, steak, eggs, no work, do you want a little chick?"

Enio was ultimately too embarrassed to ask for a little chick, but it could be seen that his mood had been somewhat eased.

After leaving the police station, Morris was very worried about Enio's situation inside, and Lance could only tell him that there would be no problems.

When everyone was together in the evening, everyone's reaction was different after learning about this incident. Some people felt that he should have just walked away at that time. Those witnesses would not mind their own business. As long as there was no direct evidence, no one could do anything to Enio.

But some people can understand Enio's approach, because the consequences were caused by impulsiveness or a brief emotional outburst, even if the other party said some things they shouldn't have said, and did some actions they shouldn't have done.

Everyone has their own views, perhaps this is some growth and maturity that Enio can bring to everyone.

On Wednesday, Lance drove to the place where he used to work, outside Jonny's bakery.

There were not many people in the bakery. This time in the afternoon was not its busiest time.

Jonny's lawsuit with the tax bureau has ended, and he paid the tax bureau three thousand seven hundred and fifty yuan.

The lawyer helped him win the support of the judge. He was not subjectively evading tax payment, but he was not clear about the tax regulations, and the shortcut he found at the beginning did not explain it to him clearly.

He was willing to actively pay supplementary taxes, and actively repented in court. The judge finally rejected the tax bureau's claim of more than 5,000 yuan, considering that he was seriously injured, and took a relatively low figure.

It won't make him feel painless, nor will it make him despair.

But no one knows that when he took out the money, he was already desperate.

During this period, Jonny was as listless as ever, sitting in the hall of the bakery in a daze all day long.

He probably still has about two thousand yuan in his hand.

He took three thousand yuan from Lance, and he had one thousand seven or eight in his hand, plus the income from this period of operation.

But this money can't last too long.

He is now very panicked and uneasy. He doesn't know when it started, but his seemingly good life suddenly became a mess.

From...the apprentice came here, or from when Lance came here?

He already doesn't know, and doesn't even know how to think.

When the door was pushed open, the bell hanging on the door frame rang ding-a-ling-a-ling. Jonny looked up at the person coming in a daze, and his pupils suddenly shrank together.

"What are you doing here?"

His tone was not strong at all, and there was a feeling of weakness.

Hearing the doorbell, the fat daughter who was resting inside also came out. She has lost some weight recently and looks a little slimmer.

When she saw that it was Lance, she was stunned for a moment, but she still tried her best to squeeze out some smiles for the man who had once made her fantasize in the middle of the night, "Lance, are you here to buy bread?"

Lance shook his head, "Jonny borrowed money from me, I'm here to collect the installment bill."

"Borrowed from you?"

The fat daughter couldn't believe it. She re-examined Lance's attire, elegant, mysterious, and noble, which made her subconsciously look at her own attire.

There are still some flour stuck to the ordinary coarse cloth clothes with sweat, and those flour did not clump together.

It just rises and falls on the body, and is wetted by sweat, and is firmly stuck to the clothes.

It can't be patted off, it must be washed with water.

This terrible dress made her feel like she wanted to go back and change her clothes.

But she could also see that Lance was different, from the past.

Jonny stood up with a very ugly face, "Don't talk about this here, talk to me in the back."

The two passed through the counter, and Lance noticed that the house originally belonging to Jonny was occupied by the fat daughter's boyfriend.

He was lying there in his underpants, seemingly unaware of the things outside.

The two came to the back, to another room, which was originally where the apprentice slept, but now, Jonny lives here.

"How much money should I give you?"

"One thousand two hundred and forty-eight yuan."

Lance reported a number.

This number made Jonny's expression even more terrifying, because he realized that the money he had on hand now could only last until next month at most, and he would not be able to pay back the money after the New Year.

He tried to discuss, "Lance, can you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lance interrupted him, "No, Jonny."

"Friendship is friendship, business is business, and we may not have much friendship between us."

"When I asked for the eighteen yuan back, there was actually no friendship between us."

"Now, give me one thousand two hundred and forty-eight yuan, I will leave with the money, and prepare the next payment before this time next month."

"Or, I won't leave with the money, but I will go to court to sue you..."

Now Jonny's head hurts as soon as he hears about lawsuits, "No, no, I have money."

He didn't know where he found a small jar, counted one thousand two hundred and forty-eight yuan from it, and held it tightly in his hand.

He has also lost a lot of weight compared to the past, and looks not as healthy as when he was plump, and a little haggard.

"The bakery is the hard work of my life..."

Lance grabbed the money from his hand, "You can try to find a few more employees who give you fifteen yuan a month, maybe you can raise the money."

He simply counted it and confirmed that it was correct, and put the money away, "See you next month at this time, Mr. Jonny..."