A quarter of an hour later, upstairs residents Cao Fuman and Cao Dazhuang, along with downstairs neighbors Cao Biao and Cao Xiangqing, had all gathered at Cao Sanpang’s place.
“You’re a lawyer?”
“You look kind of young. Are you reliable?”
“Do you charge a lot?”
Everyone was chattering at once.
Wang Chengyang remained patient and replied to each question kindly.
“Please believe me, I really am here to help you.”
Sanpang and Dazhuang exchanged a look.
Sanpang gave Dazhuang a subtle signal. Dazhuang got the message and stood up, “Lawyer Wang, thanks for making the trip. You must be tired! Let me make you a cup of tea!”
He headed to the kitchen—but really, he was pulling out his phone to call Jiang Da.
The line connected quickly: “Hello?”
“Big brother! It’s me, Dazhuang!”
“Hey, Dazhuang. What’s up?”
“A lawyer just showed up saying our niece hired him. Is that true?”
“So soon?”
Dazhuang froze. “So it is real?”
“Yeah. Yueyue said he’s really good—just the name alone is enough to shut people up. You guys cooperate with him. The new branch is about to open, and your sister-in-law is counting on you to be there for support.”
Dazhuang felt a warm wave in his heart. Big brother hadn’t forgotten about them. “Got it! We’ll be there on time!”
After ending the call, he carefully brewed a cup of tea and brought it to Wang Chengyang with a serious tone: “Lawyer Wang, we brothers are counting on you.”
Hearing that, Sanpang perked up—there was hope! He immediately got more serious.
“Alright,” Wang Chengyang’s expression turned sharp. “I’ve already reviewed the situation before coming, and I’ve heard quite a bit from you just now. Next, follow my instructions…”
At the Cao Family Villa
“…That d*mn scoundrel!” A man hissed through gritted teeth, clenching his fists. “Fine, I get it. Keep watching him. Besides ranting and raving, he’s not going to stir up anything serious.”
He hung up and turned to open the study door.
“Auntie.”
Behind the desk, a woman in a suit with her hair in a tight bun slowly looked up. Her black hair and smooth skin made her appear only about thirty at first glance.
But the crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes betrayed her true age.
“What is it? Sanpang’s at it again?” Her voice was cold, emotionless.
“…Yeah.” The man looked down, his expression sour. “Auntie, it’s been over two weeks. At this rate, he’s never going to stop. If we keep letting this slide, I’m worried he’ll—”
She raised her hand. “It’s just some yelling. What’s the panic?”
“That’s because you don’t know exactly what he’s saying!”
“Oh?” Yu Shangmei suddenly looked intrigued. “What did he say?”
“…I’d rather not repeat it.”
“I said say it. I’ve been through more than half a lifetime of storms—there’s nothing I can’t handle.”
The man reluctantly repeated what he had just heard.
Throughout, he kept watching her expression.
At first, Yu Shangmei maintained a stoic composure. But gradually, her face turned colder, until her whole aura exuded sharp hostility.
“He dares air the Cao family’s dirty laundry in public?! He’s gone too far—absolutely too far!”
“Auntie, now you see how outrageous Sanpang and the others have become? And that’s just today’s rant—there’s more from before I don’t even want to mention. You’re their former master’s wife, a senior—yet they…”
“Enough!” Yu Shangmei took a deep breath, a sneer forming on her lips. “If he likes to rant, let him rant all he wants. HR can keep dragging their feet. No need to assign him any work either.”
“Auntie, why go through all this trouble? If you ask me, they want to leave—let them. Then Cao Ji will fully belong to the Yu family. Isn’t that good? We planned to get rid of them anyway, and now they’re walking out on their own—it’s the perfect chance.”
“You don’t understand.” Yu Shangmei laughed coldly. “If they leave Cao Ji, they’ll just turn around and help Jiang Da in Linhuai. I’d rather keep some dead weight than let Jiang Da gain manpower for free!”
“But that’s not sustainable. If Sanpang and the others bring in a lawyer, things will look really bad for us. If it goes to court, they’ll win for sure!”
Yu Shangmei’s eyes narrowed arrogantly. “Those few losers? Know the law? Hire a lawyer? Don’t make me laugh. All they know is how to throw tantrums and talk trash behind people’s backs. What else can they do?”
A flash of ruthlessness crossed her eyes. “Even if I have to drag them to death at Cao Ji, I won’t let Jiang Da pick up what I’ve thrown away.”
The man opened his mouth to argue, but suddenly his phone rang. “Auntie, I’ll take this.”
Yu Shangmei waved him off.
He stepped out to take the call. “Hello? Legal department? What’s up? …A lawyer? What lawyer?”
“…Got it. I’ll respond.” He hung up, face sinking fast.
“Auntie,” he returned to the study, looking grave. “Worst-case scenario just happened.”
Yu Shangmei frowned. “What?”
“Sanpang and the others did find a lawyer. He’s already contacted our legal department requesting to negotiate on their resignation terms—or else…”
“Say it!”
“They’ll go through legal proceedings. Sue us.”
“That d*mn Sanpang! Where the h*ll did he get the brains to find a lawyer?! Wait—it has to be Jiang Da! Jiang Da helped them!”
