Chapter 188 - Seeking Help From The Lawyer
Translator: Lav
Editor: GemVoo
Shi Lei’s father went to look for the owner of the factory quite a few times. Except for the first time, he never managed to find him again. Every time his father was downstairs in the office, he would promptly be chased away by the security guards; oftentimes, even getting beat up in the process.
The last time, which was three days ago, the factory even transferred the 20,000 yuan he had initially paid for the house into his father’s bank account, before giving him the final notice.
He had paid 20,000 yuan ten years ago to buy the house and with so many years having pa.s.sed, its value was surely not the same as before. How could Shi Lei’s parents agree to it? Besides his father’s job, this house was the last fruit of his labor from working his whole life.
But the factory forced Shi Lei’s father to relinquish it within three days. Face with such an unforeseen predicament, it didn’t matter how earnest Shi Lei’s father was, he eventually exploded. He threatened that whoever dared to wrongfully evict him from his own house, he would simply live in that person’s house instead.
Today was the fourth day, which was also the last day stipulated by the notice. Early in the morning, people had arrived, brandishing the notice, and sought his father out to claim ownership of the house. Obviously, Shi Lei’s parents weren’t resigned to simply giving in so easily and a heated verbal altercation shortly ensured. That gang of people began to resort to violence. They had initially limited their targets to the inanimate objects of their house. Shi Lei’s mother wanted to call the police and her fright. Unfortunately, one of the people in the gang was the department head of the guards in the factory. He ordered his subordinates to seize the phone in her hands.
Shi Lei’s mother was pushed over and the phone was shattered from the impact. Shi Lei’s father, who was always quiet and reserved, ultimately lost his composure and smashed a stool on that person.
The person who got hit was probably only slightly injured. The gang encircled them and proceeded to a.s.sault Shi Lei’s father. His father’s leg would have surely been broken from the abuse, yet they callously threw him off the stairs. His father’s head solidly landed at the base of the stairs, causing blood to flood out, at which point, he fainted on the spot.
These people saw that the situation was beginning to devolve into something beyond their control and left quickly.
With the neighbours’ a.s.sistance, they called the police and sent his father to the hospital. It was fortuitous that a surgery was able to be immediately arranged for Shi Lei’s father. He was quickly brought out of his previously critical condition quickly but was still unconscious.
During the period Shi Lei’s father was undergoing surgery, the police recorded down his mother’s statement. They a.s.sured her that they would register it as a case and continue to investigate things at the factory. Many neighbours also spoke up and testified for what had transpired. But when they were asked to sign the statement, they all backed off. After all, everyone in the building was a worker at the factory and they didn’t dare to offend the leaders lest their livelihoods be placed in jeopardy.
Shi Lei’s mother said, “Those neighbours ... they claim themselves to be your father’s brothers, but when it comes to times like this, none of them are willing to step up as a witness……”
Shi Lei patted his mother’s back and consoled, “Don’t blame them. They are still working there and need to support their family. Mum, don’t worry about this, I will definitely get us an explanation.” Shi Lei’s furious heart belied the calm exterior he showed his mother. Shi Lei’s mother was immensely startled and she cried for the whole day, before finally falling asleep under Shi Lei’s comforting.
Shi Lei immediately called the nurse and said that he wanted to change to the best rooms in the hospital.
After Shi Lei had paid for it, the hospital immediately provided his father with the best treatment. Under Shi Lei’s insistence, they sent his father into the ICU intensive care.
Shi Lei then left the hospital and headed for the local police station. He asked and found that they hadn’t even registered the case. Needless to say, it was evident that the factory owner had used his clout to push the case back. Shi Lei asked a few more questions and the police from the station sternly advised him not to interfere with the police when they were handling a case, claiming that they would naturally handle this.
Shi Lei laughed coldly and told that civil police, “Remember what you said. This was originally a civil case of dispute, but my father is still lying in the ICU intensive care centre, this is a criminal a.s.sault case. I suggest you register it quickly, otherwise, I will seek recompense for the transgressions committed by all parties involved.
The civil police naturally disdained Shi Lei’s threat. In his eyes, Shi Lei’s family were just comprised of small characters. A worker who had just gotten fired, lacking any substantial background, with neither money nor connections. He credited Shi Lei’s bl.u.s.ter to the fact that he had received a university education, and now seemingly armed with a self-inflated sense of understanding towards law.
“I don’t need you to teach me how to handle a case. Whether this is a civil or criminal a.s.sault case, what you say is irrelevant. Go back and wait for further news!”
Shi Lei was outraged as he pointed wordlessly towards the police before leaving the police station with a dark expression.
He then returned home only to be met with a rude surprise. Little did he expect that during the time his father was undergoing treatment in the hospital, the factory had already forcefully claimed ownership of the house, even changing the lock and placing sealing strips on the door to cordon off the house.
But Shi Lei didn’t care for all this. He kicked the door open roughly. His neighbours heard the commotion and rushed out to observe. Seeing that Shi Lei was back, they all expressed their concern and asked how Shi Lei was. Shi Lei wasn’t in the mood to talk to them too much, simply saying that they were still waiting for the police to investigate the case. The neighbours saw that Shi Lei’s att.i.tude wasn’t good. They were slightly ashamed and told him that it wasn’t that they didn’t want to be the witnesses, but that their livelihoods depended on the factory. Their conditions under the factory were far from ideal in the first place and if they were to lose their jobs by antagonizing the factory owner, their situations would then become truly desperate.
“Uncles and aunts, I know you have your difficulties, I don’t blame you. But my father is still in the ICU intensive care unit, I’m not in the mood to greet you all, so please go back. In short, I will handle this by myself, I won’t trouble you and won’t drag you all into this. Please go back….”
It was only after his a.s.surances that they finally left.
Shi Lei sat down and looked at the house which was now unrecognizable from how badly it was damaged. He looked over to the stairs which had been cleaned, but with marks still left on it. He tried to calm his emotions and thought of how he could seek reparations from the factory. Especially that owner, Shi Lei simply wanted to diced him up with a rusted knife.
But Shi Lei understood that he was relatively helpless in his current situation. He was only an university student who was just a bit over twenty years old. Unless he had 700,000 or 800,000 yuan in discretionary funds he could use himself, there was really nothing else he could do.
The only thing he could rely on was for the police to conduct their investigation justly; but now, not to mention that, it was even impossible to ask the owner of the factory to show his face as the police’s att.i.tude was blatantly clear.
Police! Local police station!
Shi Lei suddenly thought of Er’jie’s mother, Zhang Meimei. She was a renowned lawyer in the entire province. He heard that she always dealt with criminal a.s.sault cases and if Zhang Meimei could be a part of this, Shi Lei a.s.sumed that the local police station, or even the sub-bureau would have to reconsider.
Shi Lei couldn’t fret the details too much and immediately called Zhang Meimei.
Over the phone, Shi Lei explained the situation as easily and perspicuously as possible, which also caused Zhang Meimei to erupt in a furor, especially at the fact that the police was dawdling with registering the case despite someone being grievously injured. She comforted Shi Lei and said, “Teacher Xiao Shi, don’t panic, don’t ever do anything unreasonable out of anger. I will take this case, don’t worry about the fees. I can’t leave at the moment, wait till I finish dealing with what I have right now and I will be at Run Zhou tomorrow. I will talk to the Ministry of Justice in Run Zhou first and hope that they quickly register it.”
Shi Lei was relieved after hearing what Zhang Meimei said. But no matter what, Shi Lei definitely had to see that factory owner.
All the expensive and important objects were already packed up with the help of his relatives and there was nothing to steal. Shi Lei had already broken the door by kicking it down and didn’t have any scruples in doing so. He left the house and went to find the owner in the factory.