First-Class Lawyer

Gu Yan’s gaze paused on Cloud Herb Welfare Home’s logo. “I seem to have seen this before.”

Yan Suizhi, who was about to speak, blanked. “Really? You know of it too?” PczB6Q

His words jogged Gu Yan’s memories. He searched through his smart device with his head bowed for a while, retrieved two photos, and adjusted his screen so that Yan Suizhi could see them as well.

The photo on the left was the last page of a donation letter with two names signed at the acknowledgement section—one by the director of the orphanage, while the other was simply a bold and flamboyant letter ‘Y’.

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The orphanage’s logo was at the end of the page, exactly the same as the one on the page they’d just opened—Cloud Herb Welfare Home’s.

On the other hand, the photo on the right depicted the vibrant garden of the orphanage, where a graceful young man sat amidst the flowers, enjoying afternoon tea. He had a faint smile on his face, and even the small mole at the end of his eye was aesthetically pleasing to look at. 7GkrBK

“Mr Y?” Gu Yan asked, his brows arched.

“There are photos like these? Where did you find them?”

Yan Suizhi was taken aback to suddenly see the twenty-year-old him.

“Joshua Dale sent it to me,” Gu Yan explained briefly, “back when I was preparing for the First-Class Lawyer review on Redstone.”

Rkf9JG

“Why did that little brat send this to you?” Yan Suizhi was even more taken aback now.

“He was doing some odd jobs for this welfare home. He found it while organising the storage and, feeling it resembled you slightly, he sent it to me for confirmation.”

“I see,” Yan Suizhi nodded.

“So, are you associated with Cloud Herb?” Gu Yan’s brows unconsciously furrowed. “It’s a bit of a coincidence that it’s a welfare institution that you’ve donated to before.” DZlbea

However, Yan Suizhi said, “…Actually, it can’t really be considered one.”

“Hm?” Gu Yan raised his gaze.

Professor Yan deliberated for two seconds before clearing his throat. “Um, I might have… given some money to more or less most orphanages on nearby planets.”

He’d always been candid, yet showed a rare trace of awkwardness when touching on this. After he did, he chortled. “Which is why I’m not overly surprised by such a coincidence.” FxVZmy

“…”

For a split second, a sliver of fond helplessness flitted across Lawyer Gu’s face, but his mind was involuntarily drawn many years back to the idle afternoon where he saw Yan Suizhi, who had come of age not long ago, the breeze sifting through his raven black hair. He stood by the garden lawn, watching the children frolic around in jolly laughter and the elderly relaxing under the sun. People’s gazes would always be inadvertently drawn towards him, whereas he was lost in thought.

The thought of Yan Suizhi like this—standing apart from the crowd, quietly doing many things, helping many people—softened Gu Yan’s heart.

“I’m a bit unable to take it when you look at me like that.” Yan Suizhi pointed at the screen and said, “If memory serves me right, the director of this welfare institution used to be a high-ranking civil servant when he was young, in charge of administering welfare institutions, orphanages, charity funds, and the like. Afterwards, he didn’t want to continue in the government, so he transferred out to stay at Wine City with its dreadful environment, running this private welfare institution on his own. Jf4Q3t

Yan Suizhi scanned the old photos on Cloud Herb Welfare Home’s website again. “So—it’s hard to say anything else, but he’d know much more than others when it comes to these few pieces of information. We might as well drop by and have a chat with him.”

—

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They were both people who got things done. They’d just talked about visiting Wine City, then boarded a space shuttle that very day.

With them were Young Master Joe and Ke Jin. pOvnN9

How could Joe sit around and twiddle thumbs when there was finally a breakthrough to what had been on his mind all this time? As friends, Gu Yan and Yan Suizhi naturally wouldn’t keep this from him.

Megatfgwbgf, Tbecu Zjrafg Abf’r qglnjaf rqjmf rteaaif kjr jyif ab rjnf atfw j iba bo oerr. Ktfs vlvc’a tjnf ab kbggs jybea fcmbecafglcu jcs ‘ecfzqfmafv jmmlvfcar’, ktlira yflcu jyif ab rluclolmjcais mea vbkc atf nbsjuf alwf.

“Zr Seclmf lr ragfrrlcu bea lc atf tbafi cbk. Vtf kjcafv ab mbwf jibcu abb yea vlvc’a offi ja fjrf ifjnlcu Yiv Mbz ab tlr bkc vfnlmfr. Rbk, rtf ufar atf tffylf-pffylfr pera yflcu bc atf rjwf qijcfa jr atf Zjcrbcr.” Abf agjlifv boo jr tf ygbkrfv Jibev Lfgy Qfiojgf Lbwf’r kfyrlaf. “Eluta, rtf jirb ajrxfv wf ab qjrr bc tfg atjcxr jcv qgjlrf sbe uesr ab tlut tfjnfcr. P reuufra atja sbe xffq jc fsf bc sbeg jrrfa yjijcmf abvjs—”

The moment the words left his tongue, Gu Yan and Yan Suizhi’s smart devices chimed in unison. THqYhw

They projected holograms and alerts from their asset cards rang out.

Balance received: 1,000,000 xi

Coming in one after the other, like an echo.

Yan Suizhi, “…” xUHKcN

Gu Yan, “…”

“Speak of the devil.” Young Master Joe said, “Ms Eunice is so predictable. She only knows how to give money, which I guess is a problem among children born into rich families in the alliance.”

—spoken just as though he wasn’t one himself.

Yan Suizhi felt doubly complicated. On one hand, Lil’ Blockhead Joe’s remark solidly dealt him a physical blow as well. On the other hand, ever since he regained consciousness, this was the first time that such a figure had appeared in the asset card under his intern name, such that he was actually a bit unused to it. 1YOGC0

Actually, this amount wasn’t an uncommon sight for Yan Suizhi and Gu Yan. While it wasn’t enough to shock them, the way that the money was shoved at them without the faintest warning had them conflicted between amusement and vexation.

Moreover, they weren’t only investigating this for Joe and Eunice, but for themselves as well.

Yan Suizhi’s fingers flew briskly across the screen.

Ding. n1GOYW

Gu Yan’s smart device chimed again.

He projected the hologram.

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Balance received: 1,000,000 xi

From account: Ruan Ye 1juKm2

“…”

The distinguished Lawyer Gu’s face turned wooden.

He looked at the person next to him, his head throbbing.

Yan Suizhi lifted his chin towards lil’ Young Master Joe’s seat, whose head was lowered, completely unsuspecting as he studied the photos. 6J5ACK

Another two seconds later…

Ding.

Joe’s finger was buzzed into numbness. Before he could process it, an alert from his asset card automatically popped onto his screen.

Balance received: 2,000,000 xi f9DnF7

From account: Gu Yan

Young Master Joe’s head snapped over.

And was greeted with the calm faces of the two elite lawyers.

“Why are you being like this?” Joe glared at Gu Yan. cbdw0B

Lawyer Gu said placidly, “Don’t look at me. Teacher Yan instructed me to do so, and as his student I can only do as I’m told. I suggest you take it up with him.”

Joe, “…”

Screw you; why haven’t I seen you listen to your teacher so obediently like this back in university?

But what was he to do about it? Y6ZfRa

With the dean silently consenting to Gu Yan’s bullshit, was it possible for him to glare at the dean?

No can do. Fear.

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“Ms Eunice will dump my body in the sea if she finds out,” Joe said.

A certain dean surveyed him from tip to toe once with his chin propped on a hand, consoling, “Relax. When you float to the surface, we’ll fish you out.” ysjkex

Joe, “…”

He couldn’t help but be reminded of a question that had plagued him for many a year—just why did those law school masochists always want to chat with the dean?

Thanks to the private space shuttle, it was still early when they touched down at Wine City. The sun was hanging high in the sky, and the weather was just right for afternoon tea, which unfortunately few of the inhabitants of Wine City had the leisure to enjoy. 53D2MQ

They drove to an old lane in Wine City’s Chunxuan District. This lane was unexpectedly clean compared to most of Wine City, like an oasis hidden in a hilly pine forest, secluded from the world outside.

“Why didn’t I know earlier that Wine City actually had a place like this?” Joe looked at the metal gates a short distance away, visibly surprised.

In actuality, he hadn’t been to Wine City that many times before. The environment was truly too far outside his comfort zone, and during the few times he did, he was dying to leave on the very same day.

Cloud Herb’s main gate looked a little worn, and the flowering vines jutting from the walls looked like they hadn’t been tended to in years. E8NgZ3

Joe didn’t even need to step inside to see the boxes littered across the ground. He asked, “Are they renovating?”

“They closed because of some troubles in the past,” Yan Suizhi explained. “From the looks of it, they are likely preparing to reopen again.”

Before coming, Gu Yan had looked up the welfare institution’s contact information and briefly talked to the director. He didn’t make direct mention of the photos, simply saying that he wanted to drop in for a look and seek the director’s advice in passing.

Over the call, he had learned of the welfare institution’s general situation. Though the old director didn’t go into the specifics about what those troubles were, he heartily welcomed them to come by. NvtzPe

Several people were busying about the courtyard, tidying the boxes.

One of the youths glanced at the gate and was immediately rooted to the spot. Aghast, he gaped at Yan Suizhi and the others, then charged over after rebooting his brain. “Holy fuck—why are you guys here?!”

The youth was none other than Joshua Dale.

This booming yell that ripped from his vocal cords stunned those around him, interrupting the work they had at hand as well. 7uIBTf

“You’re greeting us with this potty-mouth?” Yan Suizhi arched his brows, asking him.

“Bah,” Joshua whipped his head away. He scratched his head and said, “I can’t take it back anyway; just pretend you didn’t hear anything.”

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He appeared to have tanned since their last meeting. While it was obvious that he hadn’t had any lack of bathing in the sun during this time, the waxy look of malnutrition was now gone, and he had even shot up a few centimetres. When he spoke, he looked much more energetic than before.

“Are you working here?” Yan Suizhi scanned the courtyard. wWBhZb

Joshua said, “Not exactly; I’m lending a hand. How about you guys? Why are you here?”

“We came to chat with the director here.” Yan Suizhi asked, “Is he in now?”

Joshua connected two and two. “Oh! During lunch he said that there would be guests coming by in the afternoon; he must be referring to you guys! Yeah he’s around, in that old building over there.”

Yan Suizhi patted his shoulder. “Thanks. Go on, I’ll catch up with you later.” smlpwW

Joshua waved at them and jogged back to the young men helping out. He squatted down and arranged a few boxes, then carried them up, moving them to a small building on the far side.

Yan Suizhi’s group entered the aged building that Joshua had pointed out.

“If I’m not mistaken, this used to be the office block,” Yan Suizhi said.

However, it was somewhat deserted now, with nary a soul on the first two floors. They found the old director in the innermost room of the third floor, having tea with several middle-aged men and women. The atmosphere looked harmonious. Y8GxKQ

Upon the arrival of Yan Suizhi’s group, those people got up and bade their goodbyes, leaving the room to them.

“Mr Gu, I assume?” The director’s smile was genial.

“Sorry for the intrusion,” Gu Yan said politely.

“It’s no trouble at all, I’m more than happy to have guests over.” The old director said, “There are still a few more days to go before we can officially open. It’s a bit cheerless now, it’s great to have guests over to liven things up a bit.” w8lKVd

Yan Suizhi entered the door behind Gu Yan, nodding and smiling at him.

The director’s gaze paused on him for a moment, appearing minutely startled. Then, he took off his visioncare glasses, wiping them with an antibacterial tissue, and mumbled, slightly disappointed. “My eyes were failing me. I almost mistook you for an old friend.”