Chapter 27#
Phoenix Man (13)#
When he heard “malicious transfer of premarital and marital property,” Wang Cheng’s heart skipped a beat, but he comforted himself that even if they knew about the transfer, the other side probably couldn’t produce evidence.
In civil lawsuits, the one who asserts must provide proof. If the evidence was insufficient, the court wouldn’t support Qiao Yi’s claim at all, and he could even countersue Qiao Yi for defamation.
He had been very secretive; even if the other party filed a lawsuit, it would take time, and that time would be enough for him to erase all traces.
He consoled himself with this thought, but for some reason, unease crept into his heart.
Wang Cheng nervously looked at Qiao Yi, but Qiao Yi didn’t even spare him a glance.
Qiao Yi’s lawyer tidied another stack of documents on the table and submitted them to the judge and jury.
Before Wang Cheng could make his move, Qiao Yi had already notarized and preserved his premarital property and joint marital assets.
In addition to the relevant written evidence, Qiao Yi also presented several witness testimonies, including one from Yu Zhao.
As he handed over the documents, the lawyer cast a glance in Wang Cheng’s direction—not at Wang Cheng himself, but at the young man wearing a hood and mask in the audience behind him.
If the judge needed witnesses to appear in court, that young man had agreed to testify.
But things turned out simpler than he had anticipated. After the jury and judge reviewed the materials and deliberated, they unanimously agreed that the defendant, Wang Cheng, had engaged in malicious asset transfer.
Qiao Yi’s lawyer said, “Given that the defendant has engaged in malicious transfer of marital assets, my client requests the court to re-divide the property. My client demands that the defendant, Wang Cheng, compensate for the corresponding damages, including material and mental harm suffered by my client.”
Wang Cheng’s lawyer whispered to him, “Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”
For a lawyer, there was nothing worse than a client withholding information. He had thought this would be a sure win today, or at least not a loss, but now Wang Cheng had thrown this curveball at him.
Wang Cheng’s handsome face turned ashen. The earlier nonchalance was gone; veins bulged on his forehead. The once refined and polished young man now looked like a man-eating demon.
He muttered, “How was I supposed to know? He never kept such a close watch on me before.”
He didn’t think Qiao Yi was this clever. It had to be Qiao Yi’s parents or some expert guiding him from behind the scenes. But Qiao Yi’s parents weren’t even in the audience, so he had no one to direct his malice toward.
He clenched his fists and lowered his voice to ask the lawyer, “What do we do now?”
The lawyer replied irritably, “What else can we do? The best option would have been for you to plead your reluctance to end the marriage, ask the court for mediation, and drag out the divorce proceedings.”
In cases like this—malicious transfer of marital property—the lawsuit is usually filed during the divorce property division process. If mediation succeeded or the court ruled against divorce, Wang Cheng would have had a chance.
Who knew what Wang Cheng was thinking? The court had opened, and he agreed to the divorce so early.
The lawyer sighed. He was hired by Wang Cheng, and regardless of what kind of person his client was, his professional duty was to maximize his client’s interests: “The best option now is to beg him for leniency after the recess, get him to drop the charges. If you can reach a private settlement, the court won’t force you to pay compensation.”
Civil lawsuits differ from criminal ones. As long as the plaintiff withdraws the complaint and the two sides reach a settlement, the court and judicial authorities won’t pursue the matter.
Wang Cheng looked at his former husband—no, now his ex-husband. The other party still wore that polite, courteous smile from when he entered, calm to an almost unbelievable degree.
His gaze shifted to the thick stack of documents. A flash of realization struck him, and his expression twisted violently.
“Lawyer Zhou, that bastard set me up. He knew all along I was transferring assets.”
Wang Cheng’s lawyer was speechless at his client. “So what if he knew? It’s only natural for him to be wary. Even if you could prove he laid a trap for you, you walked right into it yourself. The most I can do is advise you to reach a private settlement with your ex-husband. If this goes to court, you could face criminal liability.”
Because, as the other side had stated, Wang Cheng had not only transferred joint marital property but also Qiao Yi’s premarital assets. In recent years, the law had placed greater emphasis on protecting private property. Now that the two were divorced, if things escalated, Wang Cheng might even get involved in a criminal case.
Wang Cheng still refused to give up. “Isn’t there any other way? Haven’t you never lost a case like this before?”
He had spent a fortune hiring this lawyer for the lawsuit.
“There’s no other way, Mr. Wang. I hope you understand that even lawyers aren’t omnipotent.” Lawyer Zhou packed up his documents. “And don’t forget to pay the lawyer fees you promised. Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind dragging you to court again.”
If Wang Cheng ended up penniless from compensating the other side, Lawyer Zhou seriously considered whether his client could afford his fees.
As Wang Cheng’s lawyer said, because the case involved marital and premarital assets and might touch on criminal matters unrelated to this lawsuit, Qiao Yi’s side had applied to the court to temporarily freeze the relevant accounts and assets. A separate lawsuit would be filed later for property division.
After the recess, Wang Cheng blocked Qiao Yi’s path as he was leaving. “Qiao Yi, for the sake of the love we once had, give me ten minutes. I want to talk to you.”
Qiao Yi looked at his lawyer beside him—a habit from his past life. For professional matters, he preferred to leave them to the experts.
The lawyer said, “If you want a settlement, you should negotiate with me.”
Wang Cheng retorted, “He’s my ex-husband. What business is it of an outsider like you?” Wang Cheng hated these lawyers, always scheming and picking apart every word.
Begging for mercy required an emotional atmosphere. If he said something, the lawyer would chime in coldly with a reminder—then what was the point of talking?
The lawyer said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Wang, but I must remind you that as of today, my client’s marriage to you has ended. Regarding property division, my client has authorized me to handle it fully.”
After the recess, Wang Cheng’s father, who had been anxiously waiting, followed them out. He was a rural man with little education, and many of the phrases and terms used by these well-dressed, cultured people went over his head. But that didn’t stop him from reading his son’s expression.
At first, his son had been cheerful, but as time went on, his face soured. And his son’s lawyer’s voice hadn’t been as loud as the opposing side’s—clearly useless.
For a man like Wang Cheng’s father, it wasn’t about right or wrong; it was about who was on his side. Qiao Yi had dragged his newlywed husband to court, causing such a scene without showing any consideration—that was selfish and ruthless.
Since the other party was selfish and ruthless, his son would surely suffer. He, as the father, had to step in.
He pushed forward, using the brute force honed from years of rural labor to shove the mild-mannered, weak-looking lawyer at Qiao Yi’s side to the ground. Then he started shouting, “There’s no justice! Someone’s hitting his old man, hitting his father!”
The lawyer, fumbling for his glasses on the floor, protested, “Your son has already divorced my client!”
But his voice was drowned out by Wang Cheng’s father’s.
Qiao Yi was startled by this unorthodox move. If he were Lu Yi, Wang Cheng’s father wouldn’t have gotten within arm’s reach. But he was Qiao Yi now—an ordinary person. Who casually carried a bodyguard around?
He frowned, considering stepping back, but Wang Cheng’s father grabbed him by the trouser leg.
The father said, “You’re not getting away. You have to give me an explanation.”
Intimidation and the law sometimes had no effect on a man like Wang Cheng’s father. He was a unreasonable troublemaker who wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted.
He had brute strength and was the biological father of Qiao Yi’s ex-husband. Bound by public opinion, Qiao Yi couldn’t physically fight him.
But he had no desire to have any further dealings with Wang Cheng. For the next court appearance, he planned to leave everything to his lawyer.
As Qiao Yi was pondering a solution, a slender hand reached out, firmly gripping Wang Cheng’s father’s wrist. With an effortless motion, the hand dislodged the strength from the old man’s arm and pried his claws off Qiao Yi’s pant leg.
The young man in the hood and mask lowered his voice and said, “Old troublemaker, show some respect to my friend.”