WMSR — QT Chapter 83

 

Chapter 83

Just as Xu Jiangzhe was wracking his brain for a way to evade the persistent reporters, another group of individuals emerged from the court exit. Upon spotting his parents walking at the front—with one hand propping up an aching forehead—Xu Jiangzhe's face instantly paled. Sure enough, the sharp-eyed journalists abandoned Xu Jiangzhe the moment they caught sight of the new faces, clamoring over one another to swarm before the thoroughly bewildered Xu Weihai and Liu Ling.

While the Xu couple stood encircled by reporters—their faces cycling between pale and green, yet unable to make any aggressive moves—a sleek black sedan glided slowly past them not far away.

Gazing through a slightly cracked window at the chaotic spectacle outside, Bai Yichen remarked softly: "The contacts you arranged were quite effective."

Fang Ruoming offered a modest smile: "For matters like this, a mere hint of insider news is all it takes to make these journalists run faster than anyone."

Pausing briefly, Fang Ruoming asked with a touch of hesitation: "However, Brother Bai, by revealing these details so completely, aren't you worried it might affect your future personal life?"

Indeed, these reporters had all been brought in by Fang Ruoming under Bai Yichen's direct instruction. To Bai Yichen, since Xu Weihai had dared to commit such monstrous acts back then, he deserved to endure the full weight of universal public condemnation.

Hearing Fang Ruoming's concern, Bai Yichen replied in a flat, unbothered register: "The public is condemning them. Why should I be afraid of being affected?"

Taking in Bai Yichen's unshakeable composure, Fang Ruoming suddenly realized that his Brother Bai actually possessed an extraordinarily serene and unyielding inner fortitude.

After observing the Xu couple's humiliated state for a brief moment, Bai Yichen signaled for the driver to pull away. Some time later, as expected, the Xu couple filed an official appeal, prompting a second-instance court trial to convene.

However, after so many days of public discussion, the general public had already become intimately aware of the Baixu Group scandal and the heinous crimes committed by the Xu couple against Bai Ziqian. The couple's actions had unquestionably ignited widespread public indignation.

The general populace naturally possessed empathy; if anyone put themselves in the shoes of a child whose parents had tragically died in a car crash, only for their rightful inheritance to be embezzled by unscrupulous guardians—who went so far as to subject that child to unlawful detention for years just to cover up their wicked deeds—the Xu couple's behavior had blatantly crossed the absolute baseline of human conscience. Worse still, journalists later unmasked that the Xu couple had once been close, trusted friends of Bai Ziqian's parents. It was precisely due to this bond that they had gained priority over everyone else to secure guardianship of Bai Ziqian. Overnight, slogans urging people to "guard against theft, fire, and best friends" echoed everywhere.

Because the case was deeply dramatic, infuriating, prolonged, and involved a prominent local enterprise, the heat of the controversy quickly breached local boundaries, spreading across national digital media outlets where coverage proliferated rapidly. In fact, virtually overnight, the Baixu Group guardian embezzlement case rocketed to the number one trending topic on a major social media platform.

Under such an intense level of societal scrutiny, the outcome of the second trial was foregone. The Xu couple's appeal not only failed to secure a reduced sentence, but nearly resulted in a harsher penalty due to the severe negative public impact. The harrowing result of the second verdict left the Xu couple drenched in cold sweat, completely abandoning any further notions of appeal.

At the same time, having settled the score with the Xu family, Bai Yichen filed yet another lawsuit, hauling three law firms straight into court. These three law firms were none other than the very entities he had entrusted 12 years ago—only for them to abandon all professional ethics and be bought off by Xu Weihai.

To Bai Yichen, while the Xu couple was utterly despicable, these three law firms were equally unforgivable. 12 years ago, had these three firms not so easily succumbed to Xu Weihai's bribery, he wouldn't have had to wait until today, 12 years later, to finally reclaim his personal freedom.

The news of Bai Yichen suing the three law firms was swiftly unearthed by journalists following the case's aftermath, and details were rapidly published across various media platforms for the curious public to digest. (Read this novel on https://donttelmewhattodo.blogspot.com/ for free.)

With the heat of the Baixu Group incident still burning bright, this new lawsuit against the three law firms instantly surged up the trending searches. Upon reading the full report, the online audience collectively gasped, declaring that the dramatic twists had knocked the snacks right out of their hands!

Where people had previously condemned the Xu couple while lamenting, "Bai Ziqian is so pitiable—clearly born a rich second-generation heir, yet suffered so miserably after his parents' accidental passing," or gushing, "Ziqian baby, come into my arms," the crowd now collectively marveled that a wealthy heir truly possessed an extraordinary mind. At a mere twelve years old, he had already possessed the foresight to seek out law firms to replace his guardian. It was only because the old fox Xu Weihai operated with deeper, insidious cunning that his plan had been thwarted. Countless comments flooded in, praising his high IQ and declaring him someone not to be trifled with.

For a time, the public became utterly fascinated by this wealthy second-generation heir named Bai Ziqian. Regrettably, despite the massive media storm surrounding the Baixu Group, photographs of Bai Ziqian himself had never once leaked to the public. Even during the lawsuit against the three law firms, reporters lying in wait discovered that Bai Ziqian did not attend in person, opting instead to have his legal representative appear on his behalf.

Meanwhile, inside the prison visitation room, Xu Jiangzhe sat across from Xu Weihai. The elder man's hair had sprouted streaks of white, making him look as though he had aged ten years overnight. Looking at his son on the other side of the glass, Xu Weihai felt a small flicker of comfort, thinking that even though he and his wife were imprisoned, at least their son remained free. For the first time, he felt genuinely relieved that his son had never expressed interest in Bai Ziqian's assets in the past, and that not a single official document bore his signature.

Because Xu Jiangzhe was still on the outside, Xu Weihai was not entirely consumed by despair despite facing prison alongside his wife, Liu Ling. He maintained unshakeable faith in his son's capabilities, believing Xu Jiangzhe could hold the company together even in his absence.

Xu Weihai summoned his remaining strength to meticulously brief his son on critical company matters. At last, he asked softly: "How is the handling of the court-ordered compensation coming along?"

Receiving an emotionless response from his son confirming that all required restitutions had been fully paid, Xu Weihai fell into a brief daze. Ultimately, he merely let out a long sigh, murmuring that paying it back was for the best.