Chapter 1344 – Backing off
“According to XX law, Section XX, and the contract terms, I represent my client, CCTV, to demand 3.8325008 billion USD compensation.”
John and the other representatives are stunned when they heard the compensation amount read out by Wilson!
They only know CCTV is seeking a large compensation but don’t know the actual figure. When they heard the amount now, they realized the amount is astronomical!
Wilson continues with the justification of this amount. These are the losses incurred by CCTV because of these companies’ false advertising. He also used overseas cases as references and the Chinese laws to justify this amount.
The defendants’ lawyers were stunned for a while and started arguing. Those overseas examples should not be used as references as the situation and laws are different for each country.
Secondly, this compensation is not legal as they are the victims. CCTV had forcefully removed their advertis.e.m.e.nt and affected their companies’ and brands’ reputations.
Both sides started arguing. But the defendants’ lawyers are not famous, and one of them even stuttered.
Wilson might be British, but he spoke Cantonese for years and worked in China for some time. His Mandarin might not be perfect, but it’s understandable. Most importantly, he showed the confidence of a winner, and it intimated his opponents.
There will be no outcome from the first hearing, but everyone can tell Wilson is winning from the arguments.
A group of reporters, from overseas and local, are waiting outside the court.
This is the headline. A Chinese State-owned enterprise is fighting a lawsuit with a group of foreign companies. All eyes are on this case, especially after news of this case has been blown up overseas.
“Mr. Zhang, how was the hearing?”
“Mr. Zhang, can you tell us how you feel about representing foreign companies to fight against CCTV?”
“Mr. Zhang, the netizens call you a traitor. What do you have to say about this?”
……
The lawyers representing John and other companies cannot answer these reporters’ questions, and those foreign reporters are not interviewing them… because they cannot speak English!
Wilson, on the other hand, is smiling and speaking to the reporters.
“Mr. Wilson, how does it feel to represent a Chinese client in China as a Queen’s Counsel?”
“Mr. Wilson, when did you get your Chinese Lawyer License?”
“One of the companies you are suing is a UK company. Do you have anything to say about this?”
……
Wilson answered the questions with ease and criticized those companies for trying to twist the facts.
It’s hard to deal with reporters, but they are nothing compared to paparazzi in Hong Kong. Wilson is used to such situations.
Wilson saw Lawyer Zhang and the other lawyers panicking in front of the reporters and walks over. Those reporters, who were interviewing Lawyer Zhang, stopped and started interviewing him.
“Mr. Wilson, Mr. Zhang says you all will lose at the next hearing. What do you have to say about this statement?”
“Mr. Wilson, is it true that you could not answer Mr. Zhang’s question during the hearing earlier?”
“Mr. Wilson, Mr. Zhang says they are going to seek compensation from you all for making this unreasonable demand. Do you have anything to say?”
……
Wilson smiles. “I understand everyone’s question, and I shall just say two things. First, we will win this case because we are right. Secondly, Mr. Zhang was investigated for a long time in the past for bribing a witness.”
All the reporters look at Lawyer Zhang, and his face turned red. “That incident is over, and I am innocent!”
Wilson shrugged his shoulders and left. He doesn’t know if Lawyer Zhang is innocent or not. Even if he is innocent, will the people believe him?
The reporters swarm around Lawyer Zhang, asking for his explanation for that incident.
That afternoon, online news reported about this hearing and included Lawyer Zhang was formerly suspected of bribing a witness.
Lawyer Zhang was formerly a famous lawyer, and he went silent after he was suspected of bribing a witness. He will never accept this case in the past, but he needs a prominent case to make a comeback. Also, John had promised to help him migrate to the US after they won.
But Lawyer Zhang’s dreams are about to shatter. The netizens were scolding those companies, and they found started scolding him and the other lawyers in his team.
Before evenings, some lawyers in his team resigned with all sorts of excuses.
Even the parents of the lawyers called them to scold them for representing those foreigners.
Only the foreign lawyers remained in the team to help Lawyer Zhang. But he loses confidence after comparing his team to his opponents.
Overseas media started to publish similar cases and the payouts as a reference to this case, and the demanded compensation is reasonable.
Lawyer Zhang scoff. Reasonable, my a.s.s! Such high compensation has never happened in China!
Even if he loses this case, the compensation will be twice the advertising cost at most. The courts won’t agree to such a ridiculous compensation amount.
Lawyer Zhang suddenly realized that he has started to think about losing, which means he had lost confidence.
Maybe he should not have accepted this case in the first place.