In her previous life, Zhao Zhu repeatedly bullied Liu Yutong and Yu Xin, even driving Yu Xin to jump into a river and take her own life. Yet, Zhao Zhu faced no consequences and continued to live a life of luxury.
Her family was also complicit, brushing off the matter with a mere few thousand in compensation.
The restaurant located across from Youth Square was Zhao Zhu's safety net.
She knew that even if she failed the college entrance exam, her family had the means to ensure her a comfortable life.
After all, the restaurant earned millions in revenue annually—what people in the future would call a bona fide viral hotspot.
Given that, the plan was to utterly destroy her sense of security.
Before long,
Zhao Zhu and her accomplices, hiding at home, were dragged out by Ma Da, Zhao Tianyi, and a group of police officers.
This was Zhao Tianyi's first case since taking over, and he was determined to make an impression.
He confidently declared that they wouldn’t see freedom for at least three to five years.
Zhao Zhu, thinking her crime of pushing Yu Xin into the river had been exposed, completely panicked at the prospect of jail time.
As the officers hauled her away, she screamed desperately:
"Dad, save me!"
"Dad, you have to save me! I didn’t mean to!"
"..."
Her father watched helplessly as his daughter was forced into the police car, his heart wrenching in agony.
After all, she was his only child.
But there was nothing he could do.
Once the police left,
Zhao Tianyi presented Zhao Zhu's father with a restaurant transfer agreement.
"Sign this, and I can get the victim to sign a letter of forgiveness. Your daughter might still have a chance to take the college entrance exam."
Zhao Zhu's father still didn’t fully grasp what crime his daughter had committed.
Zhao Tianyi then played a video showing Zhao Zhu bullying others and stealing money—though the amount was small, just around two hundred bucks.
"You’re telling me my daughter should go to jail over pocket change like this?!"
"I’m getting a lawyer!!!"
Naturally, Zhao Zhu's father refused to sign the transfer agreement. With such a minor sum, she’d likely only be detained for a few days. He even considered bailing her out so she could take the exam first, then hiring a lawyer to handle the rest.
As for signing over the restaurant? Not a chance.
The place brought in over a million in profit every year—he wasn’t an idiot.
Zhao Tianyi smirked. "Guess you won’t admit defeat until you’re cornered."
He then played another video, this time showing theft of a much larger sum—at least ten thousand.
"I’ve got plenty more where that came from. Want me to keep playing them for you?"
"Under Dragon Country’s laws, this qualifies as grand theft... punishable by..."
Zhao Tianyi, leveraging his expertise as a criminal defense lawyer, rattled off legal statutes with flawless precision.
The color drained from Zhao Zhu's father’s face as despair set in.
"If I sign, the victim will really agree to the forgiveness letter?"
Zhao Tianyi nodded. "You have my word. Feel free to record this as proof. Sign, and I guarantee the victim will sign the letter."
He masterfully balanced threats with incentives.
Then, adopting a sympathetic tone, he added, "Look, old friend, your daughter’s case isn’t that serious—but it’s not minor either. Aside from the first video, I haven’t handed the others to the police. With the victim’s forgiveness and the small amount involved, your daughter could be out by tomorrow, in time for the exam."
"Think carefully—what matters more, your daughter’s future or your restaurant? If you lose the place, you can always open another with your skills."
"..."
In the end, worn down by Zhao Tianyi’s silver tongue, Zhao Zhu's father signed the transfer agreement.
The restaurant—including the property—was sold for just 280,000.
Keep in mind, the shop space alone had cost over a million when they bought it.
Now, Liu Yutong had acquired everything for less than 30,000.
Of course, this was all meticulously orchestrated by Zhao Tianyi. Every transaction was justified—compensation for emotional distress, etc.—leaving no room for legal challenges.
Though resentful, Zhao Zhu's father could live with the outcome.
Losing the restaurant and property was painful, but with the 280,000 from the sale and their savings, the family still had nearly three million left. They could rebuild.
If he hadn’t agreed, his daughter’s life would’ve been ruined.
According to Lawyer Zhao, without the signed agreement, she’d be locked up for years.
And that would’ve been unbearable.
The next morning,
Zhao Zhu's father collected his daughter from the police station.
Seeing her haggard appearance, his anger melted into a sigh.
However, just as they were about to step out of the police station, the voices of several officers suddenly called out from behind them.
"Sorry, you can't leave yet."
"Zhao Zhu is suspected of attempted intentional homicide and has now been formally arrested."
With that, the officers clasped the silver handcuffs around Zhao Zhu's wrists once more.
Zhao Zhu's father widened his eyes in disbelief. "You all sure do have perfect timing!"
Before he could finish his sentence, overwhelmed by rage, his vision darkened, and he collapsed unconscious.
