Chapter 60 – Work’s Troubles

Bian Ji’s mind blanked for a moment, his actions lagging behind his thoughts. After a pause, he asked, “Then, where am I supposed to go?”

Director Li gave him the name of a hospital and specifically warned him that the family was there, urging him to proceed with caution.

Bian Ji didn’t have time to change clothes. He quickly hailed a taxi to the destination, where he saw a crowd gathered in the corridor. Besides Director Li and Wang Huaimeng, who was leaning against the wall, sobbing from exhaustion, there was a tall man who must have been the child’s father.

Bian Ji rushed over, about to ask about the test results when suddenly, his collar was grabbed.

“You’re the one who hurt my son,” the man said through gritted teeth. “What did you do!?”

Director Li hurriedly intervened, “Mr. Qian! The investigation hasn’t even begun yet; it’s inappropriate for you to say such things! Please calm down!”

“Inappropriate? How so!?” Qian Feng pointed at Bian Ji’s nose and shouted, “My son was fine before leaving the house; how did he suddenly get injured!? How do you explain this?”

Director Li attempted to reason, saying, “He was administering first aid; without it, the child could have lost his life!”

“So this is how you perform first aid?” Qian Feng threw the test results to the ground forcefully and slammed his fist against the wall. “First aid that causes internal bleeding?”

Bian Ji tried to speak, but failed, suddenly struck across the face, causing stars to dance before his eyes.

Director Li tightly held onto the family member’s arm while several security guards moved closer.

“If not for your mistake, how would my son have been injured?” Qian Feng, held back by several people, was still agitated. “Where’s the surveillance footage? If you claim you did nothing wrong, how do you prove it?”

“At the time…the plane was experiencing turbulence. I saw the child was in danger of suffocating, but no medical staff were on board after several calls…so…” Bian Ji, rarely flustered, took a deep breath before continuing, “I had no choice but to take action.”

Qian Feng wouldn’t let up. “You knew about the turbulence? Why didn’t you call someone to stabilize the child? Why did you let him get hit like that? Why didn’t you use a defibrillator?”

Bian Ji still wanted to argue based on facts. “There were 330 people on the plane; there was no medical personnel, no defibrillation equipment. Other positions needed to ensure the safety of all passengers on board.”

Qian Feng sneered. “What’s X Air doing? Knowing they were understaffed, they still sent just a few of you on the plane? Such a large company can’t even hire competent people!?”

To prevent further conflict and maintain order in the hospital, the security guards chose to temporarily separate the family member from Bian Ji, forcibly taking away Qian Feng.

Bian Ji sat on a bench in the corridor, head bowed low.

Director Li patted his shoulder. “It’s alright.”

Bian Ji spread out his hands, looking at them as if they were unfamiliar. He had many things he wanted to say, but what came out was only, “Director Li.”

Director Li consoled him, “The family members are protective of their child; it’s understandable.”

Bian Ji furrowed his brows, questioning himself for the first time in his life. “Did…did I make a mistake?”

“Whether it’s a mistake, where the mistake lies, I don’t have the authority to judge.” Director Li looked at him, knowing that any consolation would be useless. “Fortunately, you’ve been working too hard recently. During this investigation period, it might be good for you to rest for a while.”

This was the third long investigation period in Bian Ji’s ten-year career.

The first was five years ago, when he had just been promoted to a cabin crew member for the first class, and he was implicated due to a passenger opening the emergency window. The second was last year, dealing with the A801 fire incident. The third was now, stemming from his urgent rescue efforts which were questioned as unprofessional, leading to a passenger injury.

X Air placed great emphasis on member services. As long as it was a platinum member’s complaint and wasn’t excessive, it was almost never rejected. And given that this incident involved an alleged injury to a child following first aid efforts, Bian Ji could predict dire consequences without being overly pessimistic.

Bian Ji felt troubled. Originally, he wanted to ask for Yan Ankuo’s opinion, but then he remembered that Yan Ankuo had mentioned going to Nanjing today. So, he turned to Nie Hang instead.

Nie Hang reacted faster than Bian Ji could describe the situation. Before Bian Ji could finish speaking, the phone on the other end started cursing. “Why not?! What kind of fate do you have? Getting complained about twice in half a year, and both times from platinum members!?”

“I…I’d like to know myself.” Bian Ji said helplessly. “What does that rule in the company say again?”

“Which one?” Nie Hang’s assessment criteria were different from those of flight attendants, so he couldn’t think of it after a long while.

“Remembered. Three complaints, all annual performance bonuses deducted, unable to upgrade within two years.” Bian Ji mocked himself. “So, I’m quite in danger.”

“But this isn’t your fault!” Nie Hang was angry. “You tried to help and ended up saving a life the wrong way? There was no medical staff at the time, what could you do? Ignore the child? What’s the company thinking?”

Bian Ji sighed, saying that he had no choice but to wait for the result.

Nie Hang, helpless, asked, “So, what’s the current situation?”

Bian Ji sighed. “I’ll be grounded for a while, we’ll see after the investigation ends.”

“Well, there goes my flight hours for this month.” Nie Hang seemed more concerned about this.

“If that’s the only loss, it’s already a blessing.” Who knew what other troubles might come up later. Now, Bian Ji didn’t dare to think about the future. “I hope the child is okay.”

Talking to Nie Hang until late at night, Bian Ji only saw the message Yan Ankuo had sent an hour ago when they finished. The gist was that he had just been in a meeting and asked what was wrong.

Bian Ji knew how high the stakes were in the Wenshun case and its social impact. With the trial approaching, he couldn’t allow the lawyer to be distracted.

He replied, “Nothing much, just checking up on you.” Yan Ankuo found it strange. “You landed already?” Previously, Bian Ji had discussed his shift schedule with Yan Ankuo. According to the plan, he should have been in the air at this time.

Bian Ji denied it. “No, the flight plan was canceled.” Yan Ankuo, perceptive, sensed something amiss and pressed, “What happened?”

Bian Ji said, “Company’s temporary arrangement.” Through the barrier of text and screen, one couldn’t see each other’s expressions. Yan Ankuo might have been busy or believed Bian Ji’s words and didn’t offer further comment.

Yan Ankuo was always swamped with work before trials. Sometimes, he wouldn’t return home until the dead of night, and being able to spare half an hour for a video call was considered fortunate.

On this day, Yan Ankuo received a notice of defense and a list of evidence provided by the appellant. However, he still had Yuan Dong’s case to handle. The police had just found clues to the suspect’s whereabouts a couple of days ago and requested Yan Ankuo’s cooperation in the investigation.

Overwhelmed with work, Yan Ankuo had no choice but to call Huang Xiaoxiao and ask her to adjust the defense materials based on the list of evidence.

Huang Xiaoxiao took the documents back to her workstation. By around five o’clock in the afternoon, she approached him. “Mr. Yan, something doesn’t feel right.”

Yan Ankuo looked up from his case files. “How so?”

“Look at numbers 5 and 7 – audio recordings and video footage proving that defendant Liang Jingliang and his assistant Wang Xi have an improper relationship.” Huang Xiaoxiao found it odd. “We’ve talked to Mr. Liang and Wang Xi, but they didn’t mention anything about this!”

Yan Ankuo’s expression grew serious, and he immediately called Liang Jingliang.

Predictably, the call went straight to voicemail.

Yan Ankuo didn’t wait as he used to. Instead, he left a message. “Mr. Liang, we received the appellant’s list of evidence and noticed discrepancies with what you previously told us. We need you to clarify – I must remind you again that if the party involved has concealed information, I can terminate our engagement.”

Liang Jingliang returned the call soon. “What’s up now?”

Yan Ankuo read out the list of evidence and asked, “We confirmed multiple times with you before, you said Wang Xi was just your assistant. Then, what’s the deal with the audio recordings and video footage from Gu Huixin?”

“What do I know?” Liang Jingliang seemed indifferent. “You’re my lawyer; it’s your job to consider and solve these issues.”

“The basis for me to resolve the issue is that you tell me the complete truth!” Yan Ankuo was somewhat angry, his voice lowering to a curse. “Otherwise, even a god won’t be able to save you.”

Liang Jingliang was displeased. “How do you talk to me?”

“Mr. Liang, I advise you, right now, we are in a cooperative relationship. Playing tricks will ultimately be detrimental to you.” Yan Ankuo spoke heavily. “If you want to win, please tell me everything you’ve concealed from beginning to end, right now.”

Liang Jingliang paused for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and said, “Alright then.”

The story wasn’t long, told in two minutes, lacking any novelty. A classic tale of a successful man abandoning his wife after rising to power, falling for a mistress, and attempting to divorce and divide assets after his wife’s parents died. It was completely different from the version Wang Xi had recounted.

Listening to it, Yan Ankuo felt a headache coming on. He frequently drank water during the narration, which felt longer than two hours. He concluded, “Mr. Liang, you should know that with the premise of your infidelity during marriage, the original property division plan is difficult to achieve.”

“What did I hire you for then?” Liang Jingliang said stubbornly.

Yan Ankuo adjusted his breathing. “I can only guarantee to strive as much as legally possible.”

In the end, Liang Jingliang was still nervous, revealing everything about his repeated trysts with Wang Xi after marriage.

Yan Ankuo’s grip on the phone tightened. He pursued, “Those improper relationships, how many times, where, when?”

“What side are you on? Asking so much, what are you trying to do?” Liang Jingliang irritably wanted to hang up.

Yan Ankuo insisted, “I need to know the extent to which those pieces of evidence are unfavorable to you!”

Liang Jingliang remained silent for a moment. After clearing his throat, he spoke again. “…Just a few times, all at W Hotel.”

Yan Ankuo probed, “Only a few times?”

“It could also be ten to several times,” Liang Jingliang changed his statement. “Or dozens of times, I can’t remember.”

“Besides Wang Xi, were there others?”

“…Yes.”

“…” Yan Ankuo took a deep breath. “Number, identity, and duration of the relationship.”

Liang Jingliang recalled, “Three or four, just casual encounters. Who remembers their names? Nothing has happened since the New Year.”

Yan Ankuo’s face was as cold as ice. “In other words, the improper relationship with non-parties ended before you proposed divorce.”

Liang Jingliang was unhappy. “Mind your — “

Yan Ankuo interrupted, “Stick to the facts.”

Liang Jingliang might have encountered such a strong-willed partner for the first time. He was stunned, his mind fixated on replacing this person. But considering the trial date and his own predicament, he had to calm down and paced back and forth in the office. “Yes! So I don’t know where they got this evidence! We were very careful; it’s impossible for outsiders to have taken photos!”

Yan Ankuo rubbed his temples, suppressing his anger with deep breaths. “Understood.”

Yan Ankuo hung up the phone. Huang Xiaoxiao asked listlessly, “Mr. Yan, why did you take on such a case?”

Yan Ankuo was in a bad mood, his tone icy. “Talk about matters at hand.”

“Following you every day, it’s either divorce or asset division. I’m almost developing a phobia of men!” Huang Xiaoxiao ranted while organizing the materials. “Before getting married, I must definitely get a prenuptial agreement.”

Yan Ankuo didn’t respond, staring down at numbers 5 and 7 on the list of evidence, lost in thought.

Huang Xiaoxiao slumped on the table, exhausted. “Ah, now that Liang Jingliang cheated during the marriage, many of the original demands are untenable.”

“We can only adjust our defense strategy.” Yan Ankuo opened the already written defense statement and ruthlessly deleted much of it. “Let’s go through the evidence again and see where there are loopholes.”

This process lasted late into the night. Huang Xiaoxiao’s eyelids were drooping, and she had to force herself to wash her face before returning to work.

Yan Ankuo was leaning back in his chair, his complexion worse than in the afternoon.

“Mr. Yan, you haven’t left yet?” Huang Xiaoxiao yawned as she approached.

Yan Ankuo looked at the screen, speaking heavily. “Tomorrow, I want to visit W Hotel.”

Huang Xiaoxiao understood instantly, her expression turning difficult. “You intend to…”

“Yes.” Yan Ankuo closed his computer, slightly annoyed. “Never mind, let’s go home today.”