area51novel Chapter 30 Divorce Proceedings
Chapter 30 Divorce Proceedings
"Good morning." In the elevator, everyone greeted each other sleepily: "Did you guys see that news?"
"What?"
"Famous food blogger Fried Knife Fish is getting a divorce from her husband, who turns out to be a fairly well-known wedding emcee."
"What are you getting a divorce about?"
"You didn't see it?"
I don't follow internet celebrities.
"He's not an internet celebrity, he's a big name in the food industry who doesn't show his face, he has millions of followers on Douyin."
Huang Yuan: "I don't care, I'm not interested, and I'm not bothered by it. Why are you asking?"
"Look at you, you're clearly not cut out to be a family lawyer," Chen Zhao pointed at her. "Such a big divorce case, I wonder which big shot is handling it. The lawyer's fees must be outrageously high."
"I know which bigwig took it over!"
Cashier Bai Xuanjiao raised her hand in response.
Facing several pairs of gossipy eyes that turned to her at the same time, she smiled and blinked, "Unfortunately, I can't tell you."
"Tch~"
"Looks like they're one of our lawyers," Chen Zhao winked at Huang Yuan. Huang Yuan tucked her hair behind her ear: "They're definitely from our marriage and family law team. I'll go back and ask."
Bai Xuanjiao glanced silently at the corner.
Boss Yu Xingge stood silently in the blind spot of the surveillance camera to the right rear. What kind of luck was this? She had run into the subject of gossip twice.
Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly a staggering amount. After deducting the law firm's share and the 70% allocated to Zhou Yuxuan, she only received a pitiful less than 15,000 yuan. Add to that her sole responsibility of caring for and constantly comforting her aggrieved client online. Last night, when Han Chichi called, she had just finished overtime and was about to go home to catch up on sleep when the call came. The two of them discussed the arguments and evidence for the upcoming court hearing for quite some time. By the time she got home, it was already past 2 a.m.
Fortunately, the case was saved.
Ding!
"Hello, Attorney Gu."
"Hello, Attorney Gu."
"Hello, Director Gu."
As the greetings were given in unison, Yu Xingge looked up and saw Gu Lezhi standing in the small waiting garden by the elevator, dressed in a suit and tie.
He leaned against the black metal railing, flipping through documents. His well-tailored navy blue suit made him look like a pine tree. A regular morning runner, his shoulders and back were taut and sculpted. His sleeves were casually rolled up to his elbows, revealing a gleaming mechanical watch. As he gave a slight nod, people in the elevator couldn't help but glance at him a few more times. Suddenly, they understood what "gentlemanly conduct" meant. A little mud on the toes of his custom-made leather shoes made him even more pleasing to the eye; after all, what business partner goes to the alleyway early in the morning to deliver pan-fried buns to their subordinates?
He called out to Chen Zhao, pointing to a pile of Chen Ji pan-fried buns on the table: "Chen Zhao, take these buns and distribute them to the team."
"Okay! Thank you, Director Gu." Ignoring the envious glances from the other teams, Gu Lezhi called out to Yu Xingge, "Junior Sister Gu."
He chuckled, a few laugh lines appearing at the corners of his eyes, softening his air of sophistication. "I haven't congratulated Junior Sister Gu on solving another major case yet."
Why is he so happy? Yu Xingge lowered her eyes: "Hmm."
That's it? Gu Lezhi asked, slightly puzzled, "Are you in a bad mood?"
Yes, Yu Xingge was afraid that hatred would show in her eyes.
"It's my first time, so I'm a little nervous." Her voice trembled slightly. Gu Lezhi stared at the whorl on the top of her head, his gaze sliding down to the folder of files in her arms, then to her tightly clenched hands. He wasn't sure if he believed her explanation. "Then you should go back quickly. I heard the judge scheduled the trial for Friday, so the time is a bit tight. I hope you have a successful trial and return victorious."
Yu Xingge didn't even bother to nod; he practically fled in panic.
Back in his seat, several steaming hot pan-fried buns were placed on the table. Chen Zhao leaned over and said, "Director Gu specifically asked for these for you. Try them."
"Yes, thank you, Chen Zhao."
Chen Zhao, whose workstation was behind her, gave an OK sign upon hearing this and moved his chair back.
Yu Xingge sat down and stared at the rising steam for a while. After a long time, she expressionlessly threw the pile of breakfast into the trash can at her feet.
Let's get busy so we don't have time to think about other things.
She opened the "List of Evidence and Comparison Table of Proof Purpose" and checked the list of core evidence. She checked the marriage certificate (original or marriage certificate issued by the civil affairs department) as evidence of marital relationship, checked the evidence of infidelity (notarized chat records, surveillance video), and marked the separation certificate (community certificate, separation agreement) in red.
The cooling-off period for marriage is a problem; it's best to get a separation certificate.
She highlighted the second category of property evidence with a five-pointed star. As Han Chichi said, their real estate holdings were clearly organized. Each of them owned a property, both purchased before their marriage, and both still had outstanding mortgages. What was disadvantageous for Han Chichi was that her property, located in Dongjiang City, had skyrocketed in value since her purchase, even appreciating significantly due to its proximity to good schools, despite the impact of the pandemic. Liang Zan's property, however, was in their hometown, where the developer had reportedly absconded, leaving the project unfinished and delayed. Since it was a depreciating property, she couldn't expect to receive any share of the post-marital appreciation.
Well, it seems that we also need to prepare the property ownership certificate, purchase contract, loan repayment records, property appreciation certificate, and bank statements showing the funds invested in the purchase before marriage.
As for movable property and deposits, I'll have to go to the bank tomorrow to get bank account statements, vehicle registration certificate, purchase invoice, insurance policy, list of valuables... Okay, let's skip that.
Ask about investments and debts (if any?). Stock and fund account details (crossed out), company shareholding certificates (crossed out), IOUs/promissory notes (crossed out). Okay, here comes the important part.
"Proof of Virtual Property." Yu Xingge typed these words. Although the Civil Code explicitly includes virtual property within the scope of legal protection, it doesn't elaborate. For consumer-type assets like live-streaming accounts, determining their value and proving ownership has always been challenging. However, proving value isn't the primary focus for them, but to prevent them from claiming excessive value, they need to be prepared for both possibilities. Proof of ownership…
Using the IP address and login records of Douyin (TikTok) to prove control is still somewhat weak... What if we commissioned an institution with judicial appraisal qualifications to issue a "Virtual Property Ownership and Value Analysis Report"?
She made a note of this and planned to call Zhou Yuxuan later to ask about it.
After sorting through everything, the morning had passed in the blink of an eye. Yu Xingge applied for a court investigation order and went to the bank in the afternoon to retrieve Liang Zan's hidden account.
Wow.
Yu Xingge looked at the numbers on the paper and smiled meaningfully. She dialed Han Chichi's number.
"Sister Chichi, Liang Zan, do you have any debt disputes with anyone?"
"No."
"Sure?"
"No... but I don't really pay much attention to his money and where his funds go. Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"I found out that on August 2nd, if I'm not mistaken, after you filed for divorce, there was a transfer of 8 yuan to Yi Wan's name. This is..."
"She's my mother-in-law." Han Chichi sneered, "So he has this kind of trick up his sleeve."
Yes, Yu Xingge sent her the transaction details via WeChat. You wouldn't know unless you checked. Although Liang Zan is quiet and reserved, his earning ability is by no means inferior. It's just that his expenses are also high. The only asset that could be recovered, or rather, considered hidden, is the 410,000 yuan he recently transferred to his mother.
Friday's court hearing went extremely smoothly.
Originally, thanks to Yu Xingge's tireless efforts day and night, the pre-trial preparations had reached this point, and only a sweet fruit could ripen. Furthermore, Han Chichi was the victim of infidelity, with solid evidence, including a million followers on Douyin who could vouch for her. The operation of her Douyin account was consistent and methodical, and the division of tangible assets was only slightly disputed, except for 410,000 yuan. It was practically a perfect storm of favorable circumstances.
As for the 410,000 yuan, based on the principle of "whoever makes the claim must provide the evidence," after the other party claimed that the 410,000 yuan was compensation for their parents' hard work, Yu Xingge clearly saw even the judge's lips twitch helplessly.
So not only are they stupid themselves, but they're also dreaming of a whole circle of idiots.
Stepping out of the courtroom, Han Chichi's round face blossomed into a beautiful one. She clapped her hands together and exclaimed, "Attorney Yu, am I guaranteed to win?" Yu Xingge smiled and replied, "I can't guarantee it. I'll let you know as soon as there's good news."
"Then I'll wait." Han Chichi's parents also came to listen in. Her younger brother, Han Zaozao, was over 1.8 meters tall and had just graduated and entered the workforce. All three of them came over to sincerely thank her, and her mother held Han Chichi's hand tightly the whole time.
Perhaps even with pressure to get married, her parents' love remained unquestionable. The four warmly invited her to their home. Yu Xingge was wondering how to refuse when she saw Ji Zhijie standing at the bottom of the steps, seemingly waiting for someone. She said goodbye to the four and went over to exchange pleasantries.
"Mr. Ji, every time I see you, it's outside the courtyard. What kind of fate is this?" Yu Xingge said, feigning emotion.
"With all this fate, why call me Mr. Ji? It's too formal. Just call me Zhijie." Ji Zhijie's eyes were sparkling, reflecting Yu Xingge's light blue suit, which resembled a slender lotus in summer.