Chapter 184: We Have No Choice But to Brace for It

Why would a person like that appear here?

The cigarette in the stranger's hand was clearly burnt halfway down, indicating he had been standing there for quite some time.

Could he be connected to Wu Hao and his gang?

Such a doubt involuntarily sprouted in Chen Huajiang's mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

The match factory was hardly anything desirable—it was heavily in debt and belonged to a dying industry; Chen Huajiang simply could not fathom any link.

The man had suddenly smiled at him and then turned away. Could it be mere coincidence, that he was just standing by to watch the commotion?

Meanwhile, the disturbance had drawn other residents of the match factory's housing compound out of their homes, and they were now gathering to watch.

"Don't do anything rash! Young man, you must not let go, otherwise it's murder, and murder is a capital crime."

"Isn't that Wu Hao, the younger son of the Wu family? My goodness, how did he get hoisted up into mid-air?"

"It really is that brat Wu Hao. He goes around stirring up trouble every day and refuses to do an honest day's work. This time, he's really crossed paths with someone ruthless."

Instantly, the chatter swelled. Some loudly urged Chen Huajiang not to act rashly, while others recognized Wu Hao and began discussing the scene in animated whispers.

Chen Huajiang exerted strength, hoisted the fellow up completely, and dropped him onto the ground aside.

"I am Chen Huajiang, the son-in-law of the Lin family. The four-year lease of the match factory will be taken over by me."

"There will be a meeting at the match factory the day after tomorrow. If you work at the match factory, or have relatives or family members working there, please help pass the word along."

Chen Huajiang swept his gaze over the crowd and announced in a loud voice.

Following his words, the crowd naturally erupted into another round of discussion.

Ignoring them further, Chen Huajiang turned directly and walked back toward the building. Several young men in the corridor scrambled to clear the way, their eyes darting away to avoid his gaze.

When Chen Huajiang stepped inside, Lin Jiayin had already been revived by her family members. Realizing that Chen Huajiang had not committed murder outside, the terror in her heart finally dissipated slightly.

Upon seeing Chen Huajiang, she let out a cry of release, threw herself at him, wrapped her arms tightly around his body, and wept uncontrollably, her tears streaming endlessly.

"It's all right. It was just a minor matter."

"Rest assured, your husband is no fool."

Chen Huajiang held her close, gently patting her back while offering soothing words of comfort.

"Dad, Mom, then we'll be heading home first."

After comforting his wife for a while, Chen Huajiang scooped up Huanhuan with one arm while supporting his wife's arm with the other, speaking to the elderly couple.

As for Lin Guoshan, Chen Huajiang didn't even bother to check on him. After such an incident, it was impossible for Chen Huajiang not to feel a sense of revulsion toward him.

"All right, I won't keep you. Be careful on the road."

"Aren't you going to stay for dinner? Never mind, there's no way to cook or eat here anyway."

The old couple chimed in, walking them out the door.

When they stepped outside, Wu Hao and his cohorts were nowhere to be seen, having evidently departed.

However, many other households in the housing compound still had their doors wide open, and quite a few people were standing in the corridor of the opposite building, pointing and gesturing toward them.

Back at home, Chen Huajiang continued to comfort his wife. Lin Jiayin was consumed by guilt, gripping Chen Huajiang's hand and repeating apologies.

She was wracked with self-reproach and remorse; if not for her family's troubles, her husband Chen Huajiang would never have taken on such a mess, and today had nearly ended in a major catastrophe.

"Why would a husband and wife say such things to each other? It's no big deal."

"Don't worry, I can handle this matter. I'm not an idiot; I wouldn't meddle in something I couldn't handle."

Chen Huajiang patted the back of her hand, smiling as he consoled her.

The next day, Chen Huajiang went to find Lawyer Niu, namely Niu Sanshui, with whom he had previously collaborated.

In this era, non-state-affiliated lawyers had a miserable time of it; anyone outside the official system was treated like a nobody, completely unlike the disruptive legal figures of later generations.

Just as Chen Huajiang walked in now, a stout woman was grabbing Niu Sanshui by the collar and reigning heavy slaps across his face.

"You said you'd help me get a divorce, talked a big game, and took my money. And what happened? It's been three years now, and this divorce still hasn't gone through! Refund my money, give me back my money!"

The woman was strongly built, much bulkier than Niu Sanshui, tossing him about haphazardly. One of the temples of his glasses had broken off, leaving the spectacles hanging precariously by just the remaining side against his nose bridge.

"Sister Zhang, you must have a conscience when you speak! I charged you one yuan and twenty cents, and I've kept up with your case for three years."

"Three years! How many three-year stretches does a person get in life? I struggled with this for three years over one yuan and twenty cents. I wrote petition after petition, and went to court trial after trial."

"If the court refuses to grant your divorce, what else can I possibly do? I'm helpless here too."

Niu Sanshui spoke with a wretched expression, his two hands grabbing the woman's fist by his collar, utterly failing to match the strength of her single hand.

"I'll pay the one yuan and twenty cents for him."

Unable to watch any longer, Chen Huajiang stepped forward and placed a note and coins totaling one yuan and twenty cents on the desk.

"If you're incompetent, don't pretend you can handle lawsuits. I fell for your nonsense and wasted three years of my life."

Having pocketed the money, the woman spat toward Niu Sanshui before storming out.

"Boss Chen, I've made a fool of myself in front of you."

Niu Sanshui said with a bitter smile.

"How did you end up in such a sorry state?"

Chen Huajiang was somewhat speechless; this Niu Sanshui truly was an eccentric character.

Logically speaking, people trained in law were scarce in this era, and upon graduation, almost everyone could enter the official system as a prosecutor or take up a post in a supervisory agency.

Unless—

Chen Huajiang cast a peculiar glance at the man, feeling as though he understood a little.

Niu Sanshui was not particularly blessed in appearance, possessing shifty eyes; no matter how one looked at him, he didn't seem like someone who could inspire trust.

Perhaps his family background was less than clean. To enter an inspection agency, the political background check had to be flawless—in short, red and politically reliable.

"Let's not talk about it. My luck is poor, and there's nothing I can do, though I've let Boss Chen witness a farce."

Niu Sanshui shook his head with a bitter expression.

Then he poured a cup of tea for Chen Huajiang and asked, "What brings Boss Chen to see me today?"

Chen Huajiang recounted the situation regarding Lin Guoshan and the match factory, and handed over the contract Lin Guoshan had signed.

"This is clearly a trap contract, which holds no validity under the law. Furthermore, the match factory belongs to a public-ownership enterprise and lacks the qualifications to transfer assets to private individuals. Even though it's merely a lease, it is equally legally void. However—"

"Sigh, I cannot offer you any help. The law is the law, and taking the fall is taking the fall. This is fundamentally not a legal matter; even if you win a lawsuit, your brother-in-law Lin Guoshan will still have to take the blame."

"Moreover, your contract has two fatal flaws. First, although your brother-in-law resigned from the match factory, the factory never issued him a formal resignation certificate. In other words, as long as the match factory refuses to acknowledge it, your brother-in-law remains an employee of the factory. Second, the contract specifies taking over all materials and assets of the match factory, yet these assets were never clearly itemized. If this blows up, it will end up as a complete mess of tangled accounts."

Niu Sanshui spoke as he shook his head, pushing the contract back across the table to Chen Huajiang.

"However what? You hesitated just now."

Chen Huajiang had already mentally prepared himself, having harbored no great expectations when he came here in the first place.

As someone who had grown up through this era, he knew there were far too many hidden tricks and back-alley dealings. In a few years when the massive wave of layoffs hit, the absurd and chaotic mess would be hundreds or thousands of times more complex than this.