1There were three representatives.
The one in the middle, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with hair oiled and shining, was none other than the residents' lawyer, Xia Anming.
The other two were both robust in build, one stocky and the other lanky as if they were a pair of comic warriors; they were Mr. Zhang, who ran a restaurant, and Mr. Liu, who ran a small grocery store.
In the slum area, they were considered wealthy, and also those who had sold the most property to Maohe Real Estate, so they were elected to confront the unscrupulous businessmen alongside Lawyer Xia.
After glancing at the two of them, Xiao Ming took out a cigarette and lit it up.
Yun Shi Yu, who sat deliberately behind him, immediately adjusted her glasses and opened the notebook on her lap, fully playing the role of a secretary.
"Lawyer Xia," Xiao Ming spoke indifferently, "as a legal professional who knows the law but breaks it, aiding and abetting, aren't you worried about tarnishing your record in the future?"
"What bullshit are you spouting?"
Before Xia Anming could respond, Mr. Zhang slammed the table with a thud and bellowed, "It's clearly you unscrupulous businessmen who are deceiving us ordinary folks, heartless as a wolf, and you'll get your retribution sooner or later!"
Mr. Liu also snorted coldly, "We're in business too, all for making money, but we don't earn money that goes against our conscience. Accumulate too much bad karma, and it's our descendants who will suffer."
"Exactly! You all..."
"Zhang, we didn't come here to quarrel."
Xia Anming stopped Mr. Zhang and smiled at Xiao Ming, "Mr. Xiao might not be too familiar with the law. Whether a person is breaking the law has a very clear and distinct threshold.
If I were to represent the residents and go against the contract by refusing to deliver the houses already sold to your company or sell them to someone else, that would be in violation of contract law.
However, right now, we're simply making some reasonable, additional demands based on the current situation and sincerely wish to discuss a mutually satisfactory solution with your company.
So where is the question of aiding and abetting evil?"
"Freely amending an already signed and effective contract, and you dare to bring up 'Contract Law'?" Yang Hanqing said furiously.
Xia Anming's smile remained unchanged, "Mr. Yang, please allow me to reiterate: we just want to make an addition, and we're prepared to negotiate with you.
You can agree, or you can disagree, but we're really not doing anything illegal."
"Fuck! Lawyers truly are the masters of shamelessness," Shen Siyi cursed outright, "So if I say, 'watch your step when you go out, be careful not to get hit by a car,' you wouldn't think I'm threatening you, huh!"
Xia Anming's face twitched briefly before his gaze returned to Xiao Ming's face.
"Mr. Xiao, given your attitude, may I interpret that your company has no intention of negotiating with us in good faith?"
"They wouldn't dare!"
Mr. Zhang began to glare, his face trembling with flesh, ready to take on the role of the fierce Zhang Fei with his mutton chop whiskers.
"I'm telling you, if you don't return those properties to us honestly, all our neighbors will come to your company.
If you leave us with no place to live, we'll make sure you won't make a single penny. Let's see who can outlast who!"
Mr. Liu followed, speaking slowly, "In our time, there was a saying: 'Business is humanity.'
It's not the case anymore, people's hearts have turned black for the sake of making money, not afraid of the money burning their hands, or of being struck by lightning the moment they step outside."
Xiao Ming was almost done with his cigarette, looking left and right, when Yang Hanqing immediately pushed a brand new ashtray towards him.
There used to be no such thing in the company, and male employees who wanted to smoke had to go to the stairwell, or else they'd face a salary deduction.
However, from some point on, Yang Hanqing's office coffee table reserved for guests had acquired an ashtray, personally purchased by her, with a luxury brand logo that made the secretary wince every time she saw it—wincing at the cost.
"Is that all?"
Xiao Ming's tone was as even as before, "Let me summarize then: if Maohe doesn't return the houses, you plan to interfere with our company's normal operations and even threaten my personal safety."
"Is that what you mean?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Xia Anming hurriedly said, "Please trust Mr. Xiao, we really came to negotiate with your company with sincerity..."
"Then why the hell are you still so arrogant?"
Xiao Ming suddenly turned hostile, slamming his hands down on the table and rising abruptly, causing everyone in the meeting room to shudder in fright.
"Still goddamn expecting us not to make a penny, acting shamelessly, right? You really think I've got no way to deal with you?
Fine! Go ahead. I'll just split all the houses and sell them to investors from out of town, dozens of them if necessary, then we'll see who you can turn to!
Or maybe..."
He glanced at Mr. Zhang and Mr. Liu with a sinister smile, "I agree to refund the purchases, but not for your two companies.
If you're capable, continue to fool those neighbors, see if you can get them to give up their jobs and families to make trouble for you, then you'll have proven your skill!"
Both bosses were dumbfounded, furious inside, yet didn't dare to say another word.
They were both selfish and opportunistic petty traders who judged others by themselves. With the houses returned, who would still be willing to starve their own families just to help them?
After all, they were very clear that it was only because of their numbers that they were able to kick up a fuss. Otherwise, with money and influence on their side, hiring a few thugs would have been enough to make their lives a living hell.
"Damn it!"
Xiao Ming sat back down in his chair and lit another cigarette, grumbling and cursing like a bandit king.
"A bunch of bastards, clearly here begging me to show mercy, yet not quickly being respectful, instead playing the role of thugs, really asking for a beating.
Is this how people from your generation do business? Do you not know the saying 'Good manners are good for business'? If heaven really did strike with lightning, it would strike down bastards like you who have no integrity first!"
Two men in their fifties, scolded by a young man to their faces for an age, and yet they didn't show the slightest temper.
To put it more precisely, they didn't dare to.
In his past life, when Xiao Ming did business, as long as it was within the bounds of the law, he used any means necessary, with countless companies being maliciously acquired by him, and many entrepreneurs losing everything.
In his eyes, there were no distinctions between the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, only those who followed the rules and those who did not.
If you act by the rules, even if everyone turns against you, I can still sit down and have a drink with you.
But if you try to game the system, even if you're just a beggar, I won't hesitate to smash your begging bowl.
The so-called 'it takes a rogue to beat a rogue'; reasoning with a scoundrel is an insult to reason itself.
'Repay kindness with kindness, and grievances directly.' The sage has already taught us this.
"This... Mr. Xiao, please calm down."
Xia Anming adjusted the glasses on his nose bridge and said with a forced smile, "These two older brothers were just too anxious, and their words came out a bit heated. You're the boss here, a man of great stature.
After all, this matter has to be settled satisfactorily, don't you agree?"
"Had you had this attitude earlier, it would have been resolved already."
Xiao Ming snorted coldly, tapping his fingers on the table, saying, "You want to cancel the contract, for us to return the houses to you, fine, I agree."
Mr. Zhang and Mr. Liu were overjoyed to see a sudden turn for the better, but their expressions of happiness froze when Xiao Ming continued.
"However, I have two conditions.
Agree to them, and naturally everything will be negotiable.
If you don't agree, then I'm sorry, please head out the door, turn left to the courthouse, and feel free to sue us!"