Chapter 262: The Willful Chuck and the Suit-Wearing Attack
As Chuck and Frank talked, the joyful sounds of their youngest sister, Hailey, discovering a new world occasionally reached their ears through the earpiece.
Chuck remained calm.
Frank, however, his lips twitched as he muttered again, "Looks like my babysitting duties can officially end now..."
Judging from the current situation, this supposedly most normal youngest sister, Hailey, was nothing like a novice—she was practically a seasoned professional.
Not only did she show no initial discomfort, but she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
Even he, the second sibling who always walked the dark path, felt extremely uncomfortable!
Why did she need him as backup?
"She'll always be your baby sister, so you'll always have to watch out for her!"
Chuck bluntly pointed out the reality Frank was unwilling to accept: "Just like I'll always have to watch out for you."
"..."
Frank's face instantly darkened.
Chuck was clearly making another dig about their troubled reunion, treating him like a little sister!
He was already a mature vigilante, okay!
The three siblings communicated in this unusual way through earpieces until Chuck had something to attend to, gave Frank a heads-up, and ended the call.
New York.
Chuck's car pulled up in front of Monica's apartment building when he ran into Police Chief Randy Disher, who was also there.
As a close friend of Chandler—though they hadn't known each other long—Randy naturally wanted to celebrate Chandler's success.
"Chuck, are you really going to sue Mad Max?"
Randy asked, unable to resist gossiping as they went upstairs together.
"It's Tim and Shelly's family who are suing him!"
Chuck corrected.
"Can't you guys settle?"
Randy asked, looking conflicted.
"Of course,"
Chuck said as he walked upstairs. "If we meet Tim and Shelly's demands, we can settle."
"You mean meet your demands?"
Randy retorted. "I heard he's being targeted so heavily because he pissed you off."
They had arrived at Monica's apartment. The door wasn't even closed. Chandler stood at the doorway and, seeing the two approaching, smiled. "What are you guys talking about?"
"We're talking about suing Max Henson. Randy's a fan of his,"
Chuck said, then went inside, leaving the two to themselves.
"You're a fan of Max Henson?"
Chandler immediately started mocking. "Tell me you like him because he's a guy!"
"Bingo!"
Phoebe had already joined in, immediately using Chandler's classic catchphrase to tease them.
"No."
Randy didn't react much, just smiled and explained, "I just appreciate his humor..."
Seeing Chandler's still disdainful look, he immediately added sincerely, "Just like I appreciate you."
"Wow!"
Phoebe exclaimed, clutching her heart dramatically.
"..."
Chandler glared at Phoebe, who seemed to enjoy stirring the pot, then retorted to the very straightforward Randy, "You could say that louder, preferably where Sharona can hear you!"
"She knows!"
The naturally oblivious Randy, as always, took Chandler at face value, ignoring any underlying implications and taking it literally.
"Hahaha."
Phoebe laughed uncontrollably. "Chandler, aren't you about to have your own show? Why don't you bring Randy on? The two of you talking would be even funnier."
"Please!"
Chandler said self-deprecatingly. "If you really invite him, are you sure it'll be a two-person conversation, or just him talking the whole time by himself?"
He was speechless, completely stumped by Randy's obliviousness.
"You have your own show?"
Randy was stunned, then exclaimed with genuine surprise.
"Bingo!"
Chandler answered Randy with his classic catchphrase, though his expression was overly exaggerated, clearly dripping with sarcasm.
"It's all thanks to Chuck. He not only brought Chandler along, but also gave him the opportunity to shine at the press conference,"
Phoebe laughed. "Now, the hilarious and witty Bingo Chandler is a hit. Many radio and television stations have sent collaboration offers, and Chandler will soon have his own show."
"And not just a radio show!"
Randy exclaimed in surprise. "Then you're even better than Mad Max!"
"I can't help it!"
Chandler casually joked. "Everyone says that even if I don't say anything, just standing there, my face is full of comedic appeal.
So it's a waste of my talent not to show my face on the radio. My voice and my face together are the perfect combination for comedy talk shows."
He then made various funny expressions.
"You really are the most gifted!"
Randy gave him a thumbs up in complete agreement.
"..."
Chandler didn't want to say anything more.
Phoebe, watching from the side, laughed even louder.
"How's the lawsuit going?"
Rachel asked Chuck in the living room, her face full of curiosity.
Chuck was about to speak when his phone rang. He gestured for Rachel to wait, then took out his phone and answered.
The voice of the sharp-dressed lawyer, Harvey, came from the other end: "Max Henson's lawyer will be coming over again to negotiate with us soon. Are you sure you don't want to change the compensation amount?"
"Don't forget the public apology!"
Chuck said succinctly.
"..."
The suited lawyer on the other end said helplessly, "As a lawyer, I have to remind you—they're willing to pay $500,000. I could probably push it to $1.5 million, but you just added a zero to $500,000, making it $5 million.
That amount is basically impossible to achieve. To be honest, Shelly didn't commit suicide, and even if she had, the compensation would only be between $2.5 million and $3 million.
Everyone says human life is priceless, but the reality is that human life not only has a price, it's also pretty cheap."
"Would $500,000 hurt him?"
Chuck only asked one question.
"No."
On the other end of the phone, the suited lawyer paused for a moment: "I understand what you mean. Even for him, $5 million in compensation wouldn't just hurt—it would be excruciating.
But there are pros and cons.
On one hand, he would feel extreme pain.
On the other hand, he'd be even less likely to compromise."
"Only extreme pain can teach him a lesson,"
Chuck said. "Your job is to make him compromise."
"I'll do my best,"
Harvey, the suited lawyer, said on the other end. "But I have to tell you something—you're not my client, Tim and Shelly's family are.
So even though I understand what you mean, I have to inform Tim and Shelly about the other party's offer. I can't guarantee they'll stick to your bottom line."
"Just tell them, let them decide for themselves,"
Chuck said calmly.
He knew what Harvey meant. In a lawsuit, even the plaintiff faces challenges.
If it drags on, not only will they have to pay hefty lawyer fees and various other legal expenses, but they'll also waste considerable time and publicly reopen their gradually healing wounds.
And even if they have the upper hand, they could still be overturned and lose.
In that case, winner takes all, and the loser loses everything. Not only will they not receive compensation, but they'll also have to pay the opposing lawyer's exorbitant fees, or else face another lawsuit.
This kind of legal system is key to ensuring the wealthy can do whatever they want.
So, as the parties involved, Tim and Shelly's family—facing the choice of accepting a substantial settlement to end this nightmare or the uncertain outcome of continuing the fight with the possibility of an even worse nightmare—would most likely make the choice most people would make: compromise!
And the top-tier lawyer Harvey had to fully convey the other party's offer and settlement proposal to the actual clients.
"What did you agree to with them?"
On the other end of the phone, the top-tier lawyer Harvey guessed what was going on.
"I just asked them one question: Do you want Max Henson to experience the pain you're going through?"
Chuck said. "They gritted their teeth and said yes, so I said that's fine—the rest is up to you and me."
"..."
Suited lawyer Harvey's mouth twitched as he listened to Chuck seriously using "suit" to refer to him.
After all, "suited lawyer" could be taken multiple ways—high-EQ translation: sharp-dressed professional; low-EQ translation: suit-wearing guy who does nothing but wear expensive clothes all day.
If it came from Chandler, it would definitely be a sarcastic jab at a suit-wearing showboat.
But from Chuck, it was Schrödinger's compliment.
"You've relieved them of their worries, haven't you?"
Suited lawyer Harvey cut to the chase: "Was it worth it?"
"What could I possibly lose?"
Chuck countered.
"Money... okay, I get it!"
Suited lawyer Harvey completely understood.
As a top lawyer, he was used to the "I'm rich" attitude of wealthy clients who didn't care about money and were just "rich and willful."
Clearly, Chuck was one of them, willing to cover all expenses if they lost out of pure spite.
This included not only their fees as top lawyers and other litigation costs, but also the expected $1.5 million initially offered by the other side in their compromise—the total cost would easily exceed $2 million.
Even though he was accustomed to the extravagant spending of the wealthy, Chuck's extravagant approach still surprised him.
After all, in his view, Chuck was just an outsider to this case. As a public figure, who hasn't been publicly ridiculed?
Even among the wealthy, few were willing to spend this much money on something like this.
Of course, as lawyers, they admired Chuck's behavior—they wished all wealthy people acted this way; then they'd truly be rolling in it.
Pearson Hardman Law Firm.
In a spacious office in a Manhattan skyscraper.
The sharply-dressed Harvey shook his head and chuckled as he hung up the phone.
"Detective Chuck is indeed domineering."
At the secretary's desk outside, the elegant female secretary turned to her boss and smiled. "Even more than you."
"Donna!"
The sharply-dressed Harvey gave his closest secretary a disapproving look.
"What?"
Secretary Donna wasn't afraid of him at all. She openly eavesdropped on all her boss's conversations and dared to directly confront him.
"Lawyers serve the rich. You're not as rich as him, so it's normal that you serve him and aren't as domineering."
"Don't you have work to do?"
The sharply-dressed Harvey asked helplessly.
"I've already done everything I need to do."
Secretary Donna smiled. "By the way, Max Henson's new lawyer has arrived. Guess who it is?"
"Don't tell me it's Emily?"
The sharply-dressed Harvey already knew the answer from his secretary Donna's expression.
"That's right, it's her."
Secretary Donna smiled suggestively. "You'll have another chance to discuss her tattoos together. I just wonder where her tattoos are now. Remember to let me know."
Harvey, dressed impeccably in his suit, followed Secretary Donna's gaze and saw a familiar figure leading a group of people toward the conference room. He got up and went over as well.
"Harvey."
"Emily."
Harvey, impeccably dressed, greeted the sharp-looking female lawyer in a professional suit and glasses. "How did you become Max Henson's lawyer?"
"Let me guess—you think it's because of you."
The lawyer, Emily, smiled flirtatiously. "The great Harvey Specter, it's all because of you!"
"Isn't it?"
Harvey smiled confidently. "Otherwise, I can't understand why you'd take on such a losing case. It's not good for your track record. Or do you enjoy Max Henson's sharp tongue?"
"I don't know if Max Henson has a sharp tongue, but I know yours quite well—same as always, and I must say I enjoy it."
The lawyer, Emily, didn't mind flirting with opposing counsel in public. "Let me clarify—Max Henson isn't my client, the radio station is! The station doesn't want a lengthy trial; we want to wrap this up."
"Because the truth has been verified by Detective Chuck, and he rescued Jamie—the two-year-old girl your client claimed was murdered by her mother,"
Harvey reminded her. "Now your radio station's sponsors are jumping ship faster than audiences are abandoning traditional radio."
"As I said before, I enjoy your sharp tongue,"
lawyer Emily adjusted her glasses. "However, our station might not appreciate it, so watch your tone. Save your sharp tongue for the bedroom.
Now let's talk terms. We're willing to pay $500,000 in compensation to settle this matter."
"$500,000?"
Harvey chuckled. "That was what the previous lawyer offered. Now that it's you, are you no different from him?"
"Alright, $1 million! That's very generous compensation,"
said the female lawyer, Emily. "I believe your client would be satisfied."
The suited Harvey looked at her with his arms crossed, his expression clearly unconvinced.
Emily and her assistant exchanged glances, then looked firmly at Harvey.
"$1.5 million—that's the final offer. Sign the settlement agreement immediately. This is your only chance; otherwise, we'd rather go to court."
"Unfortunately, my client only accepts the initial offer... with an extra zero added to it."
Harvey, having tested the waters and confirmed the opposing side's offer was as expected, lost interest in further sparring and directly stated Chuck's demands.
"$5 million?"
Emily was stunned, then angrily exclaimed, "Are you serious?"
She knew Harvey would definitely demand an exorbitant amount, but she still hadn't expected such an astronomical figure.
She'd heard the previous lawyer mention it before but hadn't believed it at all.
$5 million in compensation? What a joke! Did they think dollars grew on trees?!
"I'm completely serious. The $5 million compensation is only one part; Max Henson also needs to issue a public apology. Both are non-negotiable."
The sharply-dressed Harvey looked intently at the female lawyer Emily, clearly conveying the agreed-upon conditions once more.
"Then there's nothing more to discuss!"
The female lawyer Emily stood up abruptly: "See you in court!"
"I suggest you persuade your client to accept these terms,"
Harvey said leisurely, looking at the standing female lawyer Emily. "Otherwise, the outcome will definitely be worse."
(End of Chapter)
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