Chapter 84: Chapter 40 (part 1)

That was how the community law office life of the three began.

Chen Shuo might be a little immature, but he was also very competent. Not long after being besieged by the old community aunties, he managed to fight his way out. By the next day, he had gotten into the swing of community legal work. To help him adapt as fast as possible, Ning Wan had him handle the day's telephone and on-site consultations. Chen Shuo did not disgrace himself, but handled his tasks very methodically.

"Chen Shuo, you're seriously overqualified." Ning Wan gazed at him, her eyes full of satisfaction. "Honestly, it's good for you to work at the main office, you don't even really need to come to the community to exercise yourself. It's more than enough for you to be here for a month."

Fu Zheng paused. The pages of the file he was turning slowed as he thought over the past.

Chen Shuo might have been working at the main office, but the cases he had encountered were far more normal than Fu Zheng's previous usual cases. That was why he got used to community work so much quicker than Fu Zheng had in the beginning, not to mention he was here to show off in front of Ning Wan. It was definitely true that he was doing better than how Fu Zheng had done in the beginning.

But 'more than enough for you to be here for a month'. Ning Wan had never said anything like that to Fu Zheng. It made him unhappy, and he figured it was probably his inner partner that disliked being negatively compared to another person.

Anyway, a partner should be dignified enough to never lose against a little regular lawyer when it came to work. If he didn't get Ning Wan to at least realized who the real professional was here, how would he convince her of his ability when he went back to the main office?

Ning Wan was very satisfied with the present situation. Fu Zheng was clever and obedient, Chen Shuo was enthusiastic and active, and when all three of them worked together, community cases were far easier and more efficient.

On top of that, Chen Shuo was far more pragmatic than she had expected. The cases here in the community were peanuts compared to those he was used to handling in the main office. Yet he was still careful and meticulous about them, not to mention is good-looking. A young woman who had just come over for legal advice was even blushing when looking at him--

"Hello Mister, I live in Building 10 of Yuelan Community. I had no choice but to come here today to sue my upstairs neighbor!"

"My name is Chen Shuo," Chen Shuo told her gently. "What's yours?"

"My name is Han Ran." The girl looked at him, seemingly a little bashful and nervous. 

"Alright then, Han Ran, would you mind explaining the situation?"

The girl nodded. As she spoke about business, she forgot to be embarrassed. Instead, her tone sounded rather depressed. "I live on the fourth floor, and there's a water leaks from my upstairs neighbour. The ceiling oozes water like it's dripping rain, the paint on the walls are blistering. It's awful. When I asked the lady upstairs to deal with the leak, she just ignores me. But how can I live in a house like this? That's why I was thinking of suing..."

Chen Shuo thought out loud. "First we need to determine the cause of the leak. After all, it might not be their water pipe, but yours, or even the fault of the building developer."

"Yes, that's what she said too, but I've already hired a handyman and found the leak. it's upstairs, but it affects me, not her. So she doesn't care and won't cooperate with having the repair done," Han Ran said helplessly, "I have evidence from the handyman, and I brought it to prove my side in court..."

Saying so, she took a stack of paper from her backpack and handed them to Chen Shuo. "I've already sorted it all out, but I don't know where to find a lawyer. I heard that our community offered legal aid, so I was wondering if you could fight this lawsuit for me?"

Chen Shuo leafed through the sheaf carefully. It was indeed very obvious and not at all difficult to prove that the leak was being caused by the upstairs neighbour. He smiled at Han Yan, "I can definitely take it. Please write your particulars down here. Since your house is becoming uninhabitable due to the leak, I will put together the evidence as soon as possible after we sign a contract, and then go to the court to file the case..."

Han Ran batted her lashes, her cheeks a little red. "Lawyer Chen, you're so knowledgable. Could we add each other on WeChat, just to make communication easier?"

……

Chen Shuo's way of thinking wasn't wrong. The evidence was conclusive, making the lawsuit a settled case, but there was still a difference between neighborhood disputes and ordinary civil suits. Although Chen Shuo had work experience, he had never been exposed to community cases...

You are reading story I Advise You To Like Me As Soon As Possible at novel35.com

Just as Ning Wan was about to speak up, she noticed Fu Zheng, who had been listening quietly, say something first. He stood up and walked toward Han Ran. "Do you have the number for your handyman? Could I call him to confirm something?"

Han Ran is was probably one of those people who were weak to beauty. She had been embarrassed in front of Chen Shuo, and now when she saw Fu Zheng she was obviously even more taken in by his face. She even stammered her answer, "Ye-yes."

Taking out her phone, she called the handyman's number and handed it to him. "Here you go."

Fu Zheng smiled at her and took it. "Thank you."

Ning Wan didn't intervene. She watched Fu Zheng make a phone call and ask the handyman several key questions in a very orderly manner--

"Indeed. I'd like to ask what sorts of solutions do you have for an upstairs leak like this?"

"Thank you. Then I would like to know how much that first option would cost, and how long it will take to handle?"

"And for a temporary solution? How would you deal with that? How much would that cost?"

……

Obviously neither Chen Shuo nor Han Ran understood why Fu Zheng was asking such questions, but Ning Wan felt as gratified as if her baby apprentice had finally taken his first flight--

The feeling like how a pig had grown big enough to be slaughtered.

Fu Zheng had grown up!

Every question he was asking was right on target!

Fu Zheng hung up. Sure enough, he looked toward Han Ran. "Your upstairs residents are hard to talk to and arrogant, aren't they? They obviously watched you search for a handyman to look into the source of the leak, and it's on their end, but they don't care, do they?"

Han Ran nodded.

"Then even if you go to court, forget how long the process will take since you might need a first or even second. Even if the judgment is in your favour, so long as your neighbor remains uncooperative, you'll only be able to apply to have the court order enforced. Unfortunately, for you the effect of the enforcement may not be great. Long story short if you go this route, even if everything goes smoothly it will take around three months, and the fee would likely be around 2,000 yuan."

Han Ran still seemed puzzled, but Chen Shuo was now frowning. "Fu Zheng, this is my case. I'll make sure my client knows all this information."

Fu Zheng smiled. "I know, but hear me out. What I want to say is that in Han Ran's case, she does actually have an alternative."