Chapter 706: Return in Disappointment
“Alright, Young Master Zhou!”
“Mm.” Zhou Chao promptly hung up the phone and casually placed it on the table.
At this moment, Zhou Chao had already returned home, leisurely sitting on the sofa in his backyard, sipping tea and reading a book.
Lin Wu, standing beside him, observed Zhou Chao, who seemed hesitant to speak.
“If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t beat around the bush,” Zhou Chao said, casting a glance at Lin Wu.
Summoning his courage, Lin Wu voiced his doubts, “Boss, aren’t we too harsh? After all, he’s just a 16-year-old kid!”
Hearing this, Zhou Chao burst into laughter. “What, do you think I’m too harsh?”
“N-No!” Lin Wu hastily shook his head. As half of the involved party, that family deserved the consequences.
“Opportunities are given to them. It depends on whether they can handle them or not,” Zhou Chao said, before returning to his book.
Lin Wu looked baffled, not fully understanding what his boss meant, but he knew the discussion should end there.
Meanwhile, Yuan Lin returned home with his tired body, accompanied by his elderly mother and lawyer.
Upon entering, he saw his wife doing yoga in the living room.
“Honey, Mom, you’re back. Where’s Xiao Yang?” The woman stood up from the yoga mat, looking around, but didn’t see their obedient son.
Yuan Lin sat on the sofa, feeling dejected, and pinched his brow.
He glanced at his mother, who also looked despondent.
“What happened to Xiao Yang? Why don’t you speak?” The woman started feeling uneasy.
“Xiao Yang has been sued!” The old lady sobbed softly, head bowed.
“Sued? How is that possible? It’s just a broken bicycle. At most, we can compensate some money. Why sue?”
Yuan Lin, who had been silent, spoke angrily. “A broken bicycle? A bicycle worth over three million yuan is broken. If you hadn’t spoil him rotten, it wouldn’t have ended up like this. In the end, it’s all because of you!”
Upon hearing this, the woman, who had been calm initially, also became anxious.
“What should we do? We can’t let Xiao Yang go to jail!”
Yuan Lin sat up straight, looking at the lawyer standing not far away. “Lao Li, do you have any ideas?”
Lawyer Li adjusted his glasses and pondered for a moment before saying, “There are options. The simplest one is to seek forgiveness from the victim and withdraw the lawsuit. But as you know, that path is no longer feasible.”
Yuan Lin glanced at his good mother with frustration. If it weren’t for her, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point.
Seeing the resentful look in his son’s eyes, the old lady’s tears flowed uncontrollably.
Lawyer Li continued, “Another option is to compensate actively, plead guilty, and try to get a lighter punishment. If the attitude is good, I estimate a sentence of less than three years.”
“Less than three years? No, Xiao Yang is only sixteen years old. If he really goes in, his life will be ruined. Yuan Lin, think of other ways!” The woman, emotionally stirred, grabbed Yuan Lin’s arm.
Yuan Lin exerted force, pulling his arm away from his wife’s grip. “Now you know it’s ruined. Why didn’t you do something earlier? There have been so many similar incidents before, and you’ve always brushed them aside. This has led to Xiao Yang’s unruly behavior. I think he should spend a few years inside to reflect on himself!”
Unable to suppress her emotions any longer, the woman burst into tears.
Glancing at his wife and elderly mother, Yuan Lin turned to Lawyer Li and said, “Lao Li, please do your best to minimize the sentence.”
“Lao Yuan, we’ve been friends for so many years. Your affairs are mine as well. But for this matter, I can’t guarantee anything. All I can do is my best,”
Thinking of the renowned plaintiff’s lawyer, Chen, Lawyer Li’s mind also became troubled. He could only hope that the opposing party would go easy on them.
Yuan Lin nodded with a bitter expression. “I understand.”
“I need to make another trip to the police station, to fully understand the ins and outs of the matter, and also to meet with Xiao Yang and have a good chat with him!”
“I’ll go with you!” Yuan Lin said, getting ready to stand up.
“No need, you stay at home.”
Yuan Lin glanced at his tearful mother and wife, nodding helplessly.
“Thank you for your hard work!”
—
“Wang Lao, tomorrow, right? No problem, I’ll definitely have time!”
“Okay, I’ll have Wen Bin come pick you up tomorrow. I have some other matters to attend to here, so I won’t say much.”
Before Zhou Chao could respond Wang Lao promptly hung up.
Looking at the disconnected call, Zhou Chao shook his head helplessly.
“Boss, where are we going tomorrow?” Lin Wu, sitting opposite Zhou Chao, asked curiously.
“To the Jingdu Garrison! Wang Lao agreed to take me there tomorrow for a good experience.”
Hearing this, Lin Wu became excited and rubbed his hands together. “Boss, can I tag along tomorrow? Let me join in the fun!”
Glancing at Lin Wu’s bulging waistline, Zhou Chao said without enthusiasm, “Don’t you always carry a gun with you? How come you’re not satisfied?”