"Mr. Fox?"
"What are you doing here?"
Sebastian ignored him and came over to me, speaking respectfully.
"Mrs. LaRue, we have clear and sufficient evidence that Pamela privately accepted bribes from the plaintiff, fabricated evidence and made false statements in the case involving your father's company."
"The case has been filed and the trial will begin in six days. What outcome do you expect? Our team needs a clear direction to work toward."
Under Pamela's terrified gaze, I coldly uttered several words.
"Revoke her license and let her rot in jail!"
Sebastian paused for a few seconds, then nodded with a smile.
"Alright, no problem."
"Esther, you're insane!"
Hans roared, "What you're doing is no different from killing Pamela!"
"What, you're already feeling sorry for her?"
I stepped forward, patting his cheek as I said, "Don't worry, the crazier part is yet to come."
"What else do you plan to do?"
Hans frowned, a sudden bad premonition rising in his chest.
Before he could react, Pamela's phone rang.
She wasn't in the mood to answer it, but when she saw it was her mother calling, she pressed the answer button.
"Mom, I'm busy right now. Can we talk later?"
"No, dear!"
"It's an emergency! We can't wait a minute!"
Her mother's anxious voice came through the line. "Just now, the city inspectors came and forcibly confiscated the barbecue stall your father and I run on the street!"
"What?"
Pamela frowned even more, lowering her voice. "Didn't I already have a word with the county's city inspectors? Why would they still bother you and Dad?"
"It must be a misunderstanding, right?"
"No, it's not a misunderstanding!"
"Pamela, did you offend someone in the city?"
"Huh?"
"Mom, why are you asking me this?"
Her mother, on the other end of the phone, grew even more anxious, stomping her feet as she said, "Because the inspectors who confiscated our barbecue stall said we failed to raise our daughter properly!"
"They said our daughter dared to get involved with an important figure and we won't have an easy life in the county town from now on!"
"An important figure?"
Pamela was even more confused and instinctively looked at Hans beside her.
The only important figure she knew was Hans.
She was already struggling to please him every day, let alone offend him.
"Mom, you and Dad, don't panic yet."
"I think they must have mistaken someone else for her. Once I finish handling the matters at hand, I'll help you resolve this."
No sooner had she finished speaking than another shout came over the phone.
"What are you doing? What gives you the right to arrest people?"
"Even if we were selling illegally, our stalls have already been confiscated. Why bother with handcuffs?"
"Hmph, pretending not to understand, huh?"
"Do you have any idea what your lamb skewers are made of? Rat meat!"
"That's deadly!"
"You are now lawfully under arrest, fined a hundred thousand dollars and sentenced to three years of sewing machine labor. Take this time to learn how to be a decent person!"
"Pamela! Save us!"
"The police and food safety officials have arrested me and your father! Don't take my phone!"
"My daughter is a lawyer in a big city and she's the girlfriend of the famous national lawyer, Hans Lowell! She'll definitely call Mr. Lowell to save us."
"Beep! Beep!"
The call was forcibly disconnected and Pamela's face turned pale.
Just as she realized the situation was serious, I leisurely sipped my coffee.
I said calmly, "Your parents are both in jail. Your brother, who's taking the civil service exam, is going to be in trouble too, right?"
"Even if he graduated from a prestigious university, got the highest score on the written exam and just passed the interview, he won't pass the political background check."
After hearing this, Pamela's eyes widened and she stared at me intently.
Her expression of disbelief and astonishment made me feel a surge of satisfaction. I grinned and teased, "What's with that little expression?"
"Where's that defiant attitude from earlier?"
"Don't worry, it's not a big deal. If he can't pass the civil service exam, he can still inherit the family business and continue selling grilled lamb skewers."
"But don't try to fool anyone with rat meat again. If someone actually dies from eating it, it won't just be a matter of fines and sewing machines."
"It'll cost you your life."
"As a lawyer, you should know this better than I do."
"You!"
Pamela suddenly raised her hand and pointed at me, her face a mix of disbelief and shock that instantly turned into sheer horror. A deep sense of dread and panic flashed in her eyes.
"Was it you, the important figure my mom mentioned?"
