The point Qin Mu had found today was... rather tricky. Zhang Qingyuan hadn't expected it either. However, the court had given the opposing party a day; with George on their side, they would surely devise a suitable counterasure. This point alone wasn't enough to be fatal. The situation, it turned out, wasn't as optimistic as Zhang Qingyuan had imagined.
Yet Qin Mu simply shrugged, seemingly under no great pressure. He said offhandedly, "Let's see what happens tomorrow."
Chen Tiankuo opened his mouth, hesitating, wanting to say sothing. But then he recalled that this case was fully Qin Mu's responsibility and decided to remain silent. He would simply act as an interpreter and take the opportunity to see what kind of backup plan Qin Mu had that made him so confident.
「anwhile.」
In As City, Xu Liming and Zhao Wan followed George to his law firm after the pre-trial conference.
"Sit," George said, having soone pour tea for them and gesturing for them to sit.
But Xu Liming and Zhao Wan were like ants on a hot griddle, unable to settle down. Both looked anxiously at George, their expressions grim.
"The judge is asking us to publicize the related accounts, but our funds… they never went into the church's account," Xu Liming sighed, his earlier composure gone. In the office, he paced back and forth, pondering solutions.
"George, why don't we prepare sothing? Give the judge a gift so the court turns a blind eye?" Zhao Wan suddenly blurted out from beside him.
George was startled. He quickly said, "Do you know the na of the judge hearing our case? It's Anthony. He's presided over cases for more than forty years and has never taken money. If you dare offer a bribe, you'll be under investigation by the Federal Bureau by this afternoon."
Damn bribery, George thought. This thod is no different from seeking death. His salary alone exceeds what these hardworking laborers make. In As City, he enjoys an imnse reputation. Nurous people admire his way of judging, and he has a large fan base. He would never destroy his career for such a paltry sum.
"Then… what if we doctor the account books first?" Zhao Wan frowned, offering another suggestion.
This ti, George didn't speak.
Xu Liming couldn't help but roll his eyes. "What damn good would doctoring them do?! The funds in our accounts were transferred out back then. Do you think there's no record in the cryptocurrency transactions? You could try to replace the missing funds, and it might seem no different, but anyone experienced could tell at a glance. Doing this is more like an outright confession!"
He had been in this business for many years and was very familiar with account funds. Every sum of money had a unique identifier, even if it was virtual. The money from those seniors on the tour group had all been transferred out illegally. Even if new funds were deposited, it wouldn't be the original money; anyone diligent could trace it. In fact, the other party wouldn't even have to ntion it; the court would investigate on its own if it detected sothing amiss.
"This won't work, that won't work! Should we just wait for death then? Surely we can't... be expected to return all those seniors' money!" Zhao Wan exclaid, ruffling his hair, looking extrely troubled.
This money... He'd taken a share of it too, and had long since spent it. If it really ca down to it, he wouldn't be able to return a single cent.
"Of course not."
At that mont, George looked at them with a gentle smile. "The opposing counsel's move did take by surprise, but it's not without a counter-strategy."
He had no sooner finished speaking than Xu Liming and Zhao Wan turned their heads in unison, staring at him.
George paused briefly, then continued, "Their attempt to delay the pre-trial conference by requesting donation details, and their refusal to settle, only further proves their guilt and fear of facing us in court. All we need to do is resolve the issue of the donation funds, make them appear legitimate, and I expect they'll be at the end of their rope. And let's be direct… we'll put forth a scapegoat to take the fall for this."
As he spoke, he glanced aningfully at Zhao Wan, the look in his eyes speaking volus.
Zhao Wan shivered involuntarily and quickly stepped back, watching George warily.
After hearing this, Xu Liming also frowned. "Lawyer George, what do you an?"
"It's simple. We'll have soone take the fall as the scapegoat, to bear the brunt of embezzling several hundred thousand," George shrugged, speaking calmly. "In our country, this type of embezzlent isn't punished severely. You'll be out in two years at most."
As he spoke, he looked pointedly at Zhao Wan again.
Zhao Wan, feeling George's gaze on him, backed up several more steps and nervously asked, "You're not… planning to sacrifice , are you?"
From George's words... he more or less understood the implication. A goddamned scapegoat! It ant pushing soone forward to take the bla. As for the whereabouts of the money... he would have to bear sole responsibility for it. Whether it could be recovered would depend on the court and the prosecution's efforts. In reality, all the money had been divided equally among them. The so-called embezzled funds were surely unrecoverable. In other words, sacrifice one for the good of the many.
"Don't worry," George added. "The conditions in our prisons are very good. Once you're in, you can start enjoying an early retirent."
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