"It's good that it's a separate entity. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible. If you need money, just send me a message and I'll transfer it directly," Jiang Ye stated. "I will do my best to protect all of Zhi Jun's assets. Whoever wants to sue, we'll fight them to the end!"
"You can await my good news!" Feng Zhi Shuang said.
Jiang Ye left the Macroeconomic Building and took a car home.
On the way, he took out his phone and sent a message to Li Nannan, explaining the whole situation.
"Chief, you have to help me! This bunch of rich guys is bullying me!" Jiang Ye sent two crying face emojis.
"Damn, there's such a thing? Messing with the wrong people? They dare to sue a project led by the military?" Li Nannan replied angrily. "I'll report this immediately. Keep nurturing Zhi Jun and ignore them. I'll notify you as soon as I have any news."
"Thank you, Chief!" Jiang Ye replied.
...
Two days later, early morning.
A white spaceship with "Cicero Law Firm" emblazoned on it slowly landed at Jiang Ye Star's First Space Station, emitting white steam. The cabin door slowly pried open a crack, and water gushed out with a splashing sound. The entire spaceship looked as if it had just been fished out of the sea. Da Feng Novel Network.
Guards immediately unfurled a red carpet and then quickly lined up on both sides.
Jiang Ye and Feng Zhi Shuang, dressed in formal attire, waited there more than ten minutes in advance.
"Why is there so much water?" Jiang Ye frowned.
"This legal team is from Gui Xu Star. The entire planet is underwater, and the inhabitants are bio-engineered humans. They are like fish; they cannot breathe in air and can only exist in aquatic environments," Feng Zhi Shuang explained. "It will take about five minutes to drain the water, and then they will emerge wearing spacesuits filled with water."
"Are they mermaids?" Jiang Ye asked.
"No, they still have legs. Their appearance indicates they are human," Feng Zhi Shuang paused, then continued, "Cicero, whom we've invited, is a very famous lawyer. He's arrogant and only takes on major cases, ignoring anything below a hundred billion. His career win rate is as high as 97%. With them, we have a fifty percent chance of winning."
"Why only fifty percent? Isn't it 97%?"
"The Three Giants have also hired a famous legal team with a 97% win rate. Both sides are evenly matched. We are even at a slight disadvantage because the court is located on Asak Star, the Three Giants' homeworld, so they have home-field advantage," Feng Zhi Shuang said. "They're coming out!"
The water inside the spaceship had completely drained out, spreading across the ground to form a large puddle. The cabin door slowly opened, and a team in orange spacesuits slowly descended the stairs.
Each of them had a large glass dome over their heads, completely filled with water.
Leading the group was Cicero, an old man with white hair. The lower half of his face was narrow, resembling a Caucasian facial structure, but his skin was an oily green. His eyes were unusually large, with sclera the color of pickled cucumbers.
Jiang Ye was inwardly astonished, thinking, "Why is he a toad spirit?"
Looking at the lawyers behind Cicero, each had a strange appearance. Some looked like Yuan Dynasty Arhats, several women resembled figures from Tang Dynasty paintings, some had prominent cheekbones, some were only 1.3 meters tall, and others were ten waist-girths wide. The group looked as if they had just come from the set of "Journey to the West" and hadn't had time to remove their makeup.
"Welcome, I am Jiang Ye." Jiang Ye extended his hand.
Cicero suddenly twitched his arm, revealing ancient-style wide sleeves. He reached out and shook Jiang Ye's hand, their hands completely covered by the sleeves.
"Greetings, Mr. Jiang. I am Cicero, and these are my disciples and assistants. We are very interested in your case. The combined valuation of the Three Giants could buy an entire small planet, and the opposing side has hired the notorious Mochinaga Daiki legal team. This person and I have a deep enmity; we have been rivals for twenty years, and I have been looking for an opportunity to compete with Mochinaga Daiki!"
"However," Cicero suddenly changed his tone.
Jiang Ye thought, "This is bad. I hate it when they say 'however'."
"However, the consultation fees are still necessary, and they cannot be too low. I am not short of money, but in our profession, we must adhere to market rules. If a renowned legal team like mine accepts an ultra-low price without reason, it would cause other legal teams to starve." Cicero held Jiang Ye's hand, not letting go. "Shall we discuss the price?"
"Alright, you name your price," Jiang Ye said nervously.
He didn't know the going rate for lawyers in this era, but looking at the monstrous appearances of this group, he had a feeling the price wouldn't be normal.
Cicero's hand inside his sleeve suddenly changed.
Jiang Ye was surprised. It was an ancient-style negotiation, gesturing within the sleeve to avoid verbal conflict.
"How many zeros?" Jiang Ye felt his hand.
Cicero's hand changed again.
Jiang Ye's expression shifted. "Don't you have any new client bonuses, discounts for reaching a certain amount, or limited-time offers?"
Cicero's hand moved within his sleeve.
Jiang Ye's expression softened slightly, and he moved his hand as well.
Cicero nodded. "Agreed. You need to pay 50% immediately. After the lawsuit is concluded, if we win, you'll pay the remaining 50%. If we lose, you'll only need to pay an additional 30%."
"We've prepared a welcome banquet for you. Please proceed to the banquet first. The funds will be transferred to you within ten minutes," Jiang Ye said with a smile. "This planet was only recently established and is still quite poor. I hope you won't mind the humble conditions."
"Lord Jiang, you are too kind. Thank you very much!" Cicero bowed.
...
The banquet was held in the Macroeconomic Building.
Dishes were prepared using all the ingredients the planet could provide, filling a long table. The bowls, chopsticks, and plates were made of pure gold, quite luxurious.
Jiang Ye sat at the head of the table, with Cicero and Feng Zhi Shuang seated beside him. While eating, they discussed the specific details of the lawsuit.
The way these lawyers ate was quite horrifying. They opened a slit at the top of their spacesuit helmets, used chopsticks to throw food in, and once the food settled at the bottom of the water in the helmet, they would lick it up with their tongues.
Cicero, in particular, looked even more like a toad spirit.
After the banquet, the lawyers were led by guards to their resting rooms.
Jiang Ye also took a car home.
On the living room carpet, Cen Yemeng and Jiang Senlin were both lying down, with a building made of blocks half-finished.
"You're back?" Cen Yemeng stood up. "Play with blocks with Senlin for a while, and I'll go cook."
"Tomorrow afternoon at five o'clock, I have to go on a business trip. I'm going to the First Court of Asak Star to attend the lawsuit," Jiang Ye said, sitting down beside the blocks. "It will take about a week for the round trip. The household will depend on you."
Cen Yemeng's expression changed. "I'm going with you!"
"No..."
Cen Yemeng interrupted him, saying loudly, "I'm going with you! Wherever you go, I go!"
"It's not necessary," Jiang Ye said, stunned.
"No, I must go with you! Wherever you go, I go!" Cen Yemeng ran over and threw herself into his arms. "I have psychological trauma. You can't leave me behind!"
"What about Senlin? Are you bringing him?" Jiang Ye asked. "Interstellar travel for such a young child might affect his growth and development. Also, warp ships prohibit children under three years old from boarding."
"I'll ask Old Yi to help take care of him for a few days," Cen Yemeng said.