Grassroots lawyers also have their day

"No problem, here's how it works. We usually charge in stages. The labor arbitration fee is 5,000 yuan, but you'll have to cover the travel expenses. We'll try our best to save money for our clients."

If the case goes to trial in court, we will charge a separate fee of 10,000 yuan. If there is a second trial, we can reduce the fee by half. What do you think? Of course, travel expenses incurred outside of Beijing will be borne by the company.” Zheng Yi said.

"Okay. This is a notice from the labor arbitration tribunal. The hearing will be held next Monday at 1:30 pm," said Mr. Liu, taking out a brown paper document bag.

"Okay, please have a seat for a moment. We'll prepare the contract. Once you've signed it and made payment, we'll begin work." After saying this, Attorney Zheng pulled Wang Chuan out of the conference room.

Ten minutes later, Wang Chuan walked into the conference room with the printed agency agreement in hand.

"Mr. Liu, please sign this. Two copies are needed. I'll give you one copy after I stamp it. Will you be paying in cash or by card?" Wang Chuan asked politely.

"I'll swipe my card." After saying that, Mr. Li quickly signed the contract, took out the company seal from his bag and stamped it on the last page of the contract, and then stamped it again across the seam.

When Wang Chuan walked into the meeting room with the agency agreement stamped with the law firm's official seal, the accountant followed him in with a POS machine.

"Mr. Liu, the high-speed rail fare from Beijing to Shijiazhuang is only a little over 100 yuan, but it's uncertain how many trips you'll need. Please prepay 1,000 yuan for travel expenses, and we'll refund any overpayment or collect any underpayment later."

Mr. Liu agreed and paid the lawyer's fees and the difference fee.

After seeing General Manager Liu off, Zheng Yi and Wang Chuan returned to the conference room.

"Mr. Liu is really efficient; he signed the contract right away. He's much more decisive than the previous clients I've encountered," Wang Chuan said with a smile.

"This amount of money is nothing to them. The key is that it saves them a lot of trouble, so of course he's quick to act," Zheng Yi said with a smile. "The rest of the work is up to you. Check the relevant regulations and make sure you have a clear understanding. We'll discuss the specifics again on Friday."

Wang Chuan agreed and returned to his workstation to get busy.

Just then, Wei Ping came over.

"Senior Brother, could you take me with you to the court hearing? I've never handled a labor case before," Wei Ping whispered.

"I have no problem with that, and Attorney Zheng will probably agree too, but the key is whether the boss will agree? This court hearing is in Shijiazhuang, not locally." Seeing Wei Ping's expectant eyes, Wang Chuan thought for a moment and said.

"Okay, Director Niu, I'll handle it! Could you please talk to Attorney Zheng for me?" Wei Ping said gratefully.

"Okay, no problem!" Wang Chuan nodded.

Wei Ping is registered under the name of Qiu Tianyun, a partner at the law firm, but she has always been Lao Niu's "secretary," and he basically handles all the matters for the consulting units.

Wang Chuan learned from Pan Jinlian that Wei Ping's father seemed to know Niu Gongming, and that Wei Ping came to Zhengyang Law Firm through this connection. Therefore, Wang Chuan felt that given the relationship between the Wei family and Niu Gongming, Niu Gongming wouldn't make things difficult for her.

Since Wei Ping accompanied Director Niu to court once, Director Niu has learned a lesson from her prowess and has never dared to let her accompany him to court again.

The trial was originally scheduled with Wei Ping as the main attacker and Lao Niu as the assistant. However, the judge said "Please speak Mandarin" no less than ten times throughout the entire morning, which annoyed Lao Niu to no end. Seeing the judge's helpless and disgusted look, and in order for everyone to be able to eat lunch, Lao Niu had no choice but to take matters into his own hands and complete the trial proceedings.

Wei Ping knew her performance in court wasn't great, so she actively defended her client to "make amends," and never mentioned participating in court again to Director Niu. However, Director Niu was kind enough that although he didn't want to take Wei Ping with him, he had the new lawyer Zheng Yi take her to court twice.

I heard that Wang Chuan and Zheng Yi signed a labor dispute case. Wei Ping has never handled a labor dispute case before, so she asked Wang Chuan to go to court with her. Her request is not high; she just wants to be a spectator and experience the atmosphere.

The selection of personnel for the court hearing in Shijiazhuang was quickly finalized; Zheng Yi would accompany Wang Chuan and Wei Ping to Shijiazhuang for the labor arbitration. Wang Chuan spent the entire Thursday preparing for the hearing in Shijiazhuang.

"Wang Chuan, I brought a few books on labor disputes. You can take a look; they were all written by our colleagues. You can also check out the website of Jiangsanjiao Law Firm in Shanghai; they do a good job in labor relations." After saying this, Zheng Yi placed several books on labor law practice written by lawyers on Wang Chuan's desk.

Wang Chuan was overjoyed and kept thanking him, his eyes filled with gratitude.

Zheng Yi understood that if he wanted to relax, he needed to cultivate a capable assistant, and Wang Chuan was undoubtedly an excellent candidate.

However, mastering labor-related laws, regulations, and local policies is no easy feat. The best approach is to learn from the work of predecessors and draw upon the knowledge gained through legal studies, particularly those published by colleagues and judges. This is why Zheng Yi diligently provided Wang Chuan with study materials.

On Thursday night, Wang Chuan arrived at the "Past Events Like Smoke" bar. The bar was about two-thirds full. Sixth Brother was busy nearby. When he saw Wang Chuan enter, he waved him over.

"Sixth Brother, where is Sister Hong?" Wang Chuan glanced around habitually; Sister Hong was not in the bar.

"Sister Hong has some things to take care of, she'll probably be over later. How are your preparations going?" Sixth Brother looked at Wang Chuan expressionlessly.

"Yes, don't worry, everything is ready," Wang Chuan said with a smile.

"Okay, go ahead. It's about to start." Sixth Brother patted Wang Chuan on the shoulder after saying that.

When the guitar music started, everyone in the bar knew it was time for a performance. They were used to the bar's atmosphere and enjoyed listening to songs they liked or that were popular in their youth, reminiscing about the past.

"I just want to sing this one old love song, to let the memories flood my heart again... People say that old love songs are always the best, and you can never forget them no matter where you go..." (I can't write anymore, otherwise my readers will think I'm just padding the word count.)

Wang Chuan's rendition of Lü Fang's "Old Love Song" evoked a sense of nostalgia, prompting many in the audience to reminisce. Who doesn't have a past?

As Sister Hong entered the bar, Wang Chuan was singing: "...I say old lovers are the best, even after all the changes of time..."

Without disturbing anyone, Sister Hong sat down in a secluded corner, called the waiter for a cocktail, and listened to Wang Chuan's singing while sipping the drink. As she listened, she became lost in thought, tears welling up in her eyes before finally spilling over and streaming down her smooth, jade-like face.

Sixth Brother saw Sister Hong, but he didn't disturb her because he knew that Sister Hong was a person with a story!

Wang Chuan was completely immersed in his singing, all his emotions were stirred up, and it took him a long time to stand up, bow to the audience, and leave the stage after finishing the song.