Legal education?
Making a bunch of street toughs listen to a lecture on the law?
How bizarre does that sound?
But Zhao Tianyi didn’t dare refuse.
So he dug up some materials and started explaining legal principles and the law to Ma Da and his crew.
But what about the audience?
One by one, they were dozing off. If not for the young mistress’s insistence that Ma Da understand the concept of the rule of law, his thunderous snoring would have already shaken the room.
It was unbearably dull.
As time passed, Zhao Tianyi gradually got into the rhythm of being a teacher.
And what do teachers despise the most? Students who don’t pay attention, slack off, or nap in class.
Seeing Ma Da and the others in such a dazed state, Zhao Tianyi’s temper flared.
SLAM!
He smacked the desk hard, his book crashing onto it.
"What are you all doing?! Can you even focus?!"
Ma Da and the others jolted awake, scrambling to their feet with hostile expressions.
Zhao Tianyi immediately backtracked, stammering, "B-Brother Ma, I didn’t mean it..."
It suddenly hit him—these weren’t ordinary students. They were ruthless street enforcers!
If they decided to beat him up, he’d have no recourse.
Ma Da waved a hand. "Sit down, all of you!"
Then, turning to Zhao Tianyi, he said, "Teacher Zhao, our mistake. Please continue the lesson. We’ll listen attentively!"
"If anyone slacks off, don’t hold back—hit them, scold them, whatever it takes."
Zhao Tianyi exhaled in relief, hesitantly asking, "Brother Ma... really? You mean it?"
Ma Da glared at his men. "From now on, Teacher Zhao’s word is my word. Anyone who disobeys—don’t blame me for what comes next!"
The others straightened up instantly. "Yes, Brother Ma!"
Bolstered by Ma Da’s endorsement, Zhao Tianyi resumed his lecture.
But before long, history repeated itself—most of the group was nodding off, and one guy even toppled backward mid-snooze, landing flat on his back.
Furious, Zhao Tianyi slammed his book on the desk again.
"Do you even want to learn?! If not, get out!"
The men snapped awake, but with Ma Da’s warning fresh in their minds, they dared not retaliate.
One cautiously raised a hand. "Teacher, uh... this legal stuff is just too dry. Can you teach it differently?"
"Yeah!" others chimed in.
It was mind-numbingly boring.
They’d never been the studious type—otherwise, they wouldn’t have ended up as street thugs.
This law lecture was even more sleep-inducing than high school literature class.
"The law is dry! You think just anyone can be a lawyer?!"
"Besides, how else am I supposed to teach it? Should I explain how to stab someone without causing serious injury? Or how to beat someone up without landing in jail?!"
To his shock, the group’s eyes lit up at his sarcastic remark.
"That’s perfect!"
"Teacher, yes—teach us that!"
"I’m so ready for this!"
"......"
Zhao Tianyi: "???"
Wait—are you here to learn the law or how to evade it?!
But whether he liked it or not, he had to press on.
To his slight relief, after shifting his approach, the students became far more engaged—even enthusiastically applying what they’d learned.
After the lesson, Zhao Tianyi decided to test them.
"Class dismissed. Now, I’ll randomly call on a few of you to answer questions. Let’s see how much you’ve absorbed."
Most managed decent responses, albeit haltingly. Not bad for a first day.
Of course, some hadn’t paid attention and stood there stammering when called on.
Ma Da immediately rose. "Slacking off? Punish him!"
Zhao Tianyi tried to intervene, but Ma Da stopped him. "Teacher, I get it. Just watch—I’ll handle this right."
He had someone place a book over the slacker’s chest and then delivered a punch.
"HYAH!"
Zhao Tianyi: "......"
He wanted to scream—What have I created?!
They learned way too fast.
Using a book to minimize bruising? Seriously?!
After disciplining the underling, Ma Da strutted over. "Well? How’d I do?"
At a loss, Zhao Tianyi silently gave a thumbs-up.
Ma Da laughed heartily. Now he finally understood what the young mistress meant by "rule of law."
In high spirits, he even snapped a photo of the class and sent it to Liu Yutong as proof of their progress.
During a break, Liu Yutong checked her phone and smiled at Ma Da’s update.
He was sharper than she’d expected—hiring a lawyer to teach them? And judging by the photo, they were taking it seriously.
"Excellent. Truly excellent."
Now she wouldn’t have to worry about them straying into outright crime.
But when she noticed the lawyer’s name—Zhao Tianyi—she froze.
No way.
The Zhao Tianyi? The legendary criminal defense attorney from her past life, stuck in this backwater town?
In her previous life, his reputation was unmatched—a near-mythical win rate, especially in criminal cases.
His infamous motto: "I don’t care what you’ve done. I care what you can pay."
Though many saw him as unscrupulous (defending mob bosses and scumbags alike), no one could deny his skill. His razor-sharp instincts pinpointed loopholes no one else noticed, securing impossible acquittals.
Learning that Ma Da had enlisted him left Liu Yutong conflicted.
Was this good or bad?
Ironically, she now worried her men might be corrupted by a lawyer.
Still, this Zhao Tianyi seemed to be in his early days—his office looked downright shabby.
As long as he stuck to teaching the basics, it should be fine. His professionalism was undeniable.
Then Ma Da sent a follow-up text: Zhao Tianyi joined us.
Liu Yutong: "......"
She wasn’t one to judge—after all, she’d taken in vocational school dropouts herself.
And whatever his moral flexibility in her past life, Zhao Tianyi had never crossed legal lines.
So... why not invest in his firm?
Once her company took off, she’d need legal counsel. She couldn’t handle everything alone.
Most importantly, she could also gather some information from Zhao Tianyi, such as details about the Yi Lian Society.
One day, she would have to face the gang of her so-called father.
