Chapter 41 I Will Have Them Face the Punishment They Deserve

Upon seeing Wei Lai, Hua Shi'er thought to himself that this was quite a coincidence. Before he could even go looking for trouble with them, they had delivered themselves right to his doorstep.

He had previously been taking pictures of Da Kang, which naturally put him a step out of sync with Chen Nian. Now, he stepped forward to take her hand, standing side by side with her. A warm smile graced his face as he asked gently, "Did you run into an acquaintance?"

Chen Nian shook her head, replying, "Not really. Let's go!"

Seeing this, Hua Shi'er couldn't be bothered to dwell on it either, and prepared to lead Chen Nian away.

However, contrary to their wish to avoid trouble, Wei Lai had no intention of letting them off so easily. Putting on a facade of deep concern, she spoke up, "Chen Nian, is this your boyfriend? Have you told him about your family's debts?"

Then, feigning sudden realization, she added, "Oh right, is that lady behind you your auntie?"

She waved at Zhou Lei and called out, "Hello, Auntie! I'm Chen Nian's classmate!"

Wei Lai's shout startled Zhou Lei, who was busy stargazing alongside Da Kang's father. Turning her head, she walked over and nodded with a smile, "Hello, I'm Chen Nian's mother!"

Though Wei Lai's exterior seemed impeccably polite, the words she uttered were as piercing as daggers: "Auntie, has the money you owed from selling counterfeit goods been paid back yet? Did the police arrest you? We've always been so worried about Chen Nian..."

Feigning realization once more, she gasped, "Oh my, look at me! You guys even have the money to travel abroad now, so I suppose that little bit of debt is nothing to you after all. It turns out that scamming people by selling fakes is such a lucrative business! You're amazing, Auntie!"

As she spoke with an expression of pure innocence, the smile on Zhou Lei's face instantly drained, leaving her complexion pale. Meanwhile, Luo Ting, standing beside Wei Lai, burst into loud laughter.

Unable to hold his tongue any longer, Da Kang's father shouted, "Little girl, is that any way to talk?"

Maintaining her innocent facade, Wei Lai blinked her eyes and retorted, "Selling counterfeit goods and people aren't even allowed to talk about it? You must be in on it together. Frankly, you don't look like a good person either."

"Well, I'll be!"

Having previously worked as a taxi driver, Da Kang's father possessed the hot-tempered disposition typical of those in his trade—someone who couldn't tolerate any sand in his eyes. Clenching his fists, he marched forward.

Unfazed, Wei Lai let out a delicate laugh and said, "Mister, you surely don't intend to hit me, do you? You'd better think twice. This is America. If you dare lay a hand on me, you won't be going back home. Look right over there—there are patrol officers!"

She pointed a finger, and sure enough, two police officers in uniform were strolling down the Walk of Fame toward them.

Da Kang grabbed his father by the arm. "Dad, don't stir up trouble. We're in a foreign country."

Furious, Da Kang's father fumed, "Am I the one causing trouble? This little girl is just too infuriating!"

Luo Ting grinned, raised her middle finger at Da Kang's father, and struck a provocative pose.

Chen Nian pulled at Hua Shi'er, eager to leave, but he held her back. Turning his gaze to the two girls, he asked, "Do you know how your little secret got exposed?"

Without waiting for their reply, he continued on his own, "It was I who threatened Xu Miao. It was I who used her phone to post on Moments. And just in case you weren't famous enough yet, I made sure to post it in several of your school chat groups as well. How do you like it? The taste of trending on hot searches and becoming a celebrity must be wonderful, right?"

"So it was you! I'm going to tear you to pieces, you bastard!"

Originally, Wei Lai and Luo Ting had directed all their hatred toward Xu Miao because of the incident. Discovering now that it was the person standing right before them who had ruined them, their eyes turned bloodshot. Before Wei Lai could even utter another word, Luo Ting lunged forward, clawing wildly.

Hua Shi'er didn't even flinch. The hotel driver and bodyguard, who had been lingering not far behind the group, sprang into action. He grabbed Luo Ting by the arm and tossed her to the ground with a textbook shoulder throw.

Stunned into complete bewilderment, Wei Lai couldn't comprehend how a conflict with Chen Nian and her companions had suddenly resulted in a white man in a suit beating up her best friend. Stricken with panic, she let out a piercing scream.

The shriek attracted the two nearby patrol officers. The bodyguard immediately identified himself to the police and stated that the woman on the ground had attempted to attack his employer.

The influence of the Four Seasons Hotel goes without saying. Once the police verified the white driver's identity, they immediately accepted his testimony, slapped handcuffs on both Luo Ting and Wei Lai, and prepared to take them back for questioning.

Hua Shi'er instructed the white driver to speak with the police, telling them that out of consideration for the two girls' youth and ignorance, he chose not to press charges this time.

Upon hearing this, the white driver looked at him with newfound respect. "Sir, you are truly a wealthy and merciful man!"

Hua Shi'er sneered inwardly. Placing "wealthy" first made it clear that he had been generous with tips over the past couple of days. As for "mercy"—heh, mercy was certainly not meant for scum like Wei Lai. His real concern was that this incident might jeopardize their university admission process, which would ruin his subsequent plans.

Though Hua Shi'er had no intention of pursuing legal action against the two girls, protocol required the police to take them back for questioning.

As the police led the two girls away, Zhou Lei said indignantly, "Chen Nian, why are those two classmates of yours so utterly lacking in manners? They have zero upbringing!"

Watching the retreating figures of Wei Lai and Luo Ting being escorted away, Chen Nian remarked, "They're the ones who drove Hu Xiaodie to jump off the building."

Thanks to Hua Shi'er's maneuvering, the affair surrounding Hu Xiaodie was common knowledge throughout Anqiao City. Upon hearing that the girls they had just encountered were the culprits, Da Kang's father cursed out loud:

"I took one look at those flashy little hussies and knew they weren't any good. Sure enough, absolute trash!"

Hearing her daughter's words, Zhou Lei sighed regretfully, "Such pretty girls, yet their hearts are so venomous!"

The episode with the two girls did nothing to dampen everyone's spirits for sightseeing. After taking photos at the Walk of Fame, the group headed to Universal Studios. Seeing the sets from classic Hollywood films, everyone struck various poses for commemorative photographs, feeling the trip had been well worth it.

Back at the hotel, Hua Shi'er told Chen Nian he needed to step out to handle some business with a local partner.

Knowing a little about his dealings in international crude oil futures, Chen Nian suspected nothing and went with her mother to enjoy the complimentary spa treatments provided by the hotel.

Taking a vehicle arranged by the hotel, Hua Shi'er located a law firm he had contacted before leaving the country—a firm renowned for "solving any and all trouble for their clients."

Inside, Hua Shi'er met with a middle-class white lawyer named Eller. He handed over a dossier regarding Wei Lai and Luo Ting, which included detailed records of the malicious acts they had committed while studying in Anqiao.

Attorney Eller flipped through the documents, pausing when he reached the final pages indicating that the two girls had already completed their enrollment procedures at a prominent girls' school in Los Angeles. A knowing smile played across his lips.

"Oh, these truly are two bad girls. So, sir, what is it that I can do for you?"

Pointing at the photographs of the two girls, Hua Shi'er replied, "The things they've done are illegal in your country as well. I want them to face the punishment they deserve."

Eller spread his hands. "Since these events didn't take place in America, I'm afraid I can't help you there."

"No, no!"

Hua Shi'er smiled and wagged a finger. "In our country, we have a saying: 'A leopard never changes its spots.' I'm confident they will commit the same mistakes here in America. What do you think, my friend?"

Eller seemed to catch his drift. His eyes lit up, replaced by an intriguing, enigmatic smile. "You want me to lure them into committing a crime? Oh no, no, I'm terribly sorry, but we are lawyers and we don't break the law."

Hua Shi'er shook his finger again. "Mr. Eller, I didn't say anything about luring them into breaking the law. Are you trying to trap me? Surely you aren't recording this, are you?"

With that, he spread his palms and curled his fingers toward Attorney Eller in a beckoning motion.

Eller chuckled, pulled a small recording device from beneath the desk, and handed it right over. With an unrepentant grin, he said, "You certainly are a cautious gentleman. Please don't misunderstand; it's merely our professional habit..."

Hua Shi'er took the device, inspected it, and deleted the recording inside. Of course, he didn't truly believe the other party lacked backup recording equipment, but mentally reviewing the conversation, he confirmed he had left no verbal handles, allowing him to rest easy.

He reiterated, "I only want to see the results; the process is of no concern to me. Whether it violates the law is your affair. Naturally, I hope you can use completely legal means to achieve the outcome I desire. I'd say this result is worth fifty thousand US dollars, wouldn't you?"

Hearing the figure of fifty thousand dollars, Eller's smile grew even more brilliant. He tapped his fingers on the desk and countered with a new sum: "Three hundred thousand!"

Without missing a beat, Hua Shi'er extended his hand and said, "Deal."

"You are truly a generous man!"

Smiling, Eller stood up to shake Hua Shi'er's hand, then called for his hot-tempered, attractive female secretary to bring in wine to celebrate the transaction.

Hua Shi'er remained at the office for an hour, signing a special retainer agreement with Eller.

The document brilliantly showcased Eller's legal expertise: it clearly outlined the scope of the commission while remaining entirely lawful, shielding both parties from any potential legal liability.

Eller promised to use methods strictly compliant with American law to fulfill the client's request. Should any illegality occur during the process, he and his law firm would shoulder all responsibility.

After carefully reviewing the agreement multiple times to ensure there were no hidden wording traps, Hua Shi'er used his credit card to pay a one-hundred-thousand-dollar deposit, then departed with a satisfied expression.

Two days later, the group of five boarded a return flight home to China. As for the American side, Hua Shi'er trusted that good news would arrive shortly after the school term commenced.