Back to the prime of life

Chapter 28 Lawyer Zuo

There was nothing fun about visiting relatives. Lu Changge just went there to complete the task assigned by his father.

His aunt lived in Jiujiang District in the south. He planned to take his things there to have a meal and then come back.

It was really torture for him that he didn't have a navigation system along the way.

My aunt's name is Lu Xiaohui. She looks nothing like her father Lu. Her father is simple and unsophisticated, but my aunt dyed her hair yellow and dressed very fashionably. In fact, they are nine years apart in age. She is only 32 this year.

My sister-in-law works in a foreign trade company. 2006 was a good time for foreign trade, so she should have done well.

After meeting, she praised Lu Changge's short hair and reminded him to be careful of girls in big cities, saying that these girls are very bold nowadays. If he is unlucky, a handsome guy like him will encounter a girl who will pester him and go home with him.

She called it 'bad luck'.

Lu Changge finally understood his aunt's uniqueness.

Anyway, he had a meal with her and chatted about some small matters at home, and that was it. And because of limited conditions and it was inconvenient to stay overnight, he went back in the afternoon.

On the way back to school, he received a call.

It’s Zhou Chunjin who called.

As soon as the call was connected, he said, "Boss, fifty thousand is too low. I spent eighty thousand on the construction. How about you raise it to eighty thousand? I don't care about making money, just not losing money."

Lu Changge said, "Eighty thousand is too expensive. If you pack up the equipment and sell it, you won't lose much. It's better than just leaving it there to rot."

"Boss, you're not right. How could a good house be in such a bad state? I can fix it up a little bit and it will be fine again."

"Well, business is about mutual consent. Bargaining is normal, and if everyone is happy, then if you're unhappy about not raising the price, that's fine. I'll give you an extra three thousand. That way, you'll feel better, and I won't care about the three thousand anymore. Is that sincere enough?"
If you agree, I have the cash, and we can wait for the working day to transfer the ownership with the relevant documents. If you don't agree and still want to raise the price, then you can talk to other buyers."

This way of negotiating is very assertive, and it is also Lu Changge's tried-and-tested tactic. If the negotiation still fails, it is not a problem of skills, but a problem of price.

You insist on buying something worth 100,000 yuan for 50,000 yuan, and there is no room for negotiation.

Perhaps sensing the force and aggression in the words, there was silence for a while.

"I'll think about it. We have to at least meet in person."

Lu Changge laughed, "The reason we can't meet is because your boss is out of town discussing business."

Zhou was in a dilemma. He could probably tell that he had completely seen through his claim of being out of town, which made him feel uncomfortable. He said something polite and hung up.

In fact, no matter how he tried to cover it up, the fact that he took the initiative to call me said a lot.

It’s a pity that Lu Changge couldn’t quite remember how much debt this guy owed. Otherwise, with that amount on the card, most people would find it difficult to resist the temptation of such relief.

After receiving the call, he went out to a bicycle shop and bought a black sports bicycle.

It was only after these two times of leaving the campus that he realized that Jiangzhou University of Technology was really big. It took half an hour to walk to the school gate, and it was really inconvenient without a bicycle.

After paying, he rode back directly. Walking on the campus, he suddenly realized that there were actually quite a lot of people staying during the National Day holiday. Perhaps it was because everyone's living standards were average, and travel expenses were an expense that could not be ignored.

He also found a banner celebrating the 95th anniversary hung at the school gate, and several people were busy there.

When Lu Changge passed by, a man who looked like an older student pointed at him and shouted, "Hey, come over here and help me!"

It was a small matter to help, but he sounded a bit bossy. Lu Changge ignored him, pretended not to hear him, and rode away.

This made the guy feel a little embarrassed. He said to the people around him, "Damn, they are not willing to help. What kind of quality do people have nowadays?"

A girl with long reddish-brown hair said, "He doesn't know you're calling him, so just be quiet."

Lu Changge's only concern for school affairs was looking at the class schedule after National Day. There were relatively few courses in the first year, with eight classes a week, including advanced mathematics, politics, college Chinese, etc. Professional courses would probably be taught in the second year.

At night, Zhou Chunjin called again.
This time he said that he had outstanding debts, and the factory was targeted by creditors, but he had no money to pay for it.

So if Lu Changge wants it, could you be generous and pay off his debt first, which is a total of more than 12,000 yuan? This way, the subsequent transfer of ownership will be much more convenient.

Lu Changge refused sternly, saying that he could sell it or not. He also expressed his reluctance to buy the property on the grounds that it was involved in a property rights dispute.

Only in this way could we stop him from bargaining.

This guy is a tough nut to crack. He makes a few phone calls back and forth just to try to gain a little more profit through some cleverness and calculations.

However, this incident reminded Lu Changge that people who owe debts from gambling might mortgage their properties. And if the factory involved troublesome issues such as property mortgage, then he would have to think carefully about it.

Although he has enough social experience and generally won't be cheated, he is actually completely clueless about the relevant procedures and precautions for transferring factory property rights.

But there are too many tricks here. After thinking about it, he decided to find a lawyer, at least to avoid potential legal risks and not be involved in a property with legal disputes, which would result in not only not making money but also getting into trouble.

To put it another way, losing some money is a small matter, but it is so embarrassing for a man in his forties to have his eyes pecked by an eagle.

On October 10nd, he rode his bike out of the school gate, intending to look for one nearby. However, he forgot that it was National Day and many law firms were closed. He went to two law firms in a row, but no one was there. Finally, he found a law firm in a building called Xintiandi that was still open: Fangda Law Firm.

Pushing the glass door open, it was quiet inside. Lu Changge looked around and called out, "Is anyone there?"

After a while, there was a slight movement among the grid of computer desks, and a woman with short hair, wearing a blue shirt and a black skirt stood up.

The woman looked to be in her late twenties, but her demeanor wasn't particularly natural or confident. Instead, she seemed a little nervous. She raised her slender arm, pushed up her glasses, and whispered, "Excuse me, who are you looking for?"

Lu Changge took two steps forward and took a quick look at her. His first impression was that she was very thin, with her collarbone clearly visible. A closer look revealed that her skin was quite fair, and her cherry lips were very thin. Although a little pale, they felt very moist and soft, and it should be very comfortable to use.

In fact, she should have a good temperament overall, but it's a pity that her glasses obscure a lot of it.

"I'm looking for a lawyer. Are you open today?"

The woman was stunned for two seconds, then said, "We are open for business. Please take a seat, sir."

"I see it's all empty. Are you sure there's a lawyer here?"

"Yes," she said softly, then emphasized it again, "Yes!"

So, Lu Changge went to sit down at a long table.

He observed for a while and found that the woman went to pour water, and then picked up a notebook when she passed by his seat.

"Drink some water first."

She smiled gently, and there was a special magnetism in her voice.

"Are you a lawyer?" Lu Changge saw that she was not very calm, so he was a little confused.
"Yes, my last name is Zuo Shuya. What's your last name, sir?"

"No need to bother, my last name is Lu."

"Mr. Lu, do you need anything?"

Before answering this question, Lu Changge said, "Ms. Zuo, I don't mean to offend you. But you must understand that anything involving the law is no joke. Please allow me to confirm with you again, you are indeed a lawyer, right?"

The woman couldn't quite say she was relaxed, but she nodded firmly. "Mr. Lu, I have a license to practice law. Of course, to be rigorous, I'll still have to consider the case. If it's not an area I'm good at, I'll transfer it to another lawyer in our firm. Please rest assured."

"Okay." Lu Changge thought about it and realized that what he was doing was just a simple legal consultation. It didn't involve any major cases, let alone a corporate acquisition worth tens or hundreds of billions of dollars.

You don't have to find a famous lawyer, as long as you have basic legal knowledge and some experience.

"Look, Ms. Zuo, I'm primarily looking for legal advice. I'm looking to purchase the property rights to a factory. Considering the other party's debts and my unfamiliarity with them, I'd like to avoid potential risks. Therefore, I'd like to hire a lawyer to oversee this transaction. In your terms, it's called..."

"Property investigation." Zuo Shuya quickly answered, and then spoke a lot.
"We assist buyers in verifying property ownership, checking for outstanding mortgages, and confirming any legal disputes, ultimately ensuring a secure purchase. Mr. Lu, you're absolutely right to come. Many people don't understand the risks involved in these types of transactions and tend to be overly trusting, ultimately leading to unbearable consequences."

After she finished speaking, she tilted her gaze slightly downward, as if considering whether she had missed something.

Seeing her speak so fluently, Lu Changge felt a little more trust in her. "Yes, it's a real estate investigation. Are you familiar with this field? How much does it cost?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Lu. I'm very familiar with real estate transactions. Excuse me, what's the estimated transaction price for the factory you're looking to buy?"

"More than fifty thousand."

Lu Changge was serious and didn't feel embarrassed at all about the outrageously low price.

Zuo Shuya paused for a moment, but she quickly adjusted herself and said with a smile, "No problem. Legal advice like yours is usually charged by the hour. As for me..."

Lu Changge shook his head. "It's not just consulting, it's checking. In other words, besides price negotiation, I hope to get legal services for the rest of the transaction process. Do you have relevant experience? Do you know the common scams in real estate transactions?"

This time she answered more firmly, "Yes! I once handled a case where both husband and wife were property owners. Is the owner of your factory married? Are you sure he's the one listed on the property certificate?"

Lu Changge really didn't know this.

"I haven't understood that. Will there be any problems?"

"Starting from January 03, 1, when applying for a property certificate for a house purchased after marriage, you need to apply for a property certificate for both the husband and wife. In other words, if the property certificate still has his wife's name on it, and he sold it without telling his family, there will be problems when transferring the ownership."

"That factory is very dilapidated. I guess he bought it before he got married." Lu Changge said after thinking for a while.

"Did he remarry?"

"I don't know. I don't think it's likely."

"Unlikely, but not impossible. Isn't the purpose of seeking legal advice to reduce the possibility of adverse effects to zero?"

Makes sense.

Lu Changge thought about it and decided to pay the money. As the saying goes, if a person is greedy, he should seek big profits, not small profits.

(End of this chapter)