Ya She

Chapter 32 Tiger Bone Ring

Although Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, humankind was eventually born. A momentary mistake doesn't define them. To err is human, to forgive divine.

Song Yue snapped out of his daze, immediately feeling a sharp pain at the back of his head. It took him a long time to come to his senses. What happened? Wasn't he hit by a car? Was he taken to the hospital? Song Yue looked at the white expanse before him and struggled to sit up, clutching his head. He remembered going to his interview at Qin's Law Firm. On his way back, a van ran a red light and came hurtling towards him. He couldn't dodge in time, and the last thing he heard was the screeching of brakes and the screams of onlookers.

Trying to feel his body, Song Yue found himself lucky; apart from the pain at the back of his head, nothing else seemed amiss. It seemed he had simply fallen, a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune. "Awake? Is anything bothering you?" A deep voice sounded from the side of the bed, startling Song Yue. He reflexively turned his head, but because he turned too quickly, he felt dizzy again, his vision blurred, and it took him a while to make out the other person.

But when he saw who it was, he was shocked again. His lips trembled, and the word "President Qin" was swallowed by his own lips. He tried to speak, but found his throat felt like it had been sanded clean, so hoarse he couldn't utter a sound. Song Yue then realized he was in a private hospital room, the kind of luxurious suite that cost over 1000 yuan a night. Having always lived a simple life, he had never seen anything like it. He wondered if the driver of the van that hit him was very rich. But that wasn't the point. The point was, why was Qin Mo, the president of Qin's Law Firm, accompanying him?

Qin Mo was a recognized figure in their industry, having established his own law firm before the age of thirty, with connections spanning various sectors and considerable popularity within the field. Unlike established firms, Qin's Law Firm preferred to recruit new talent, so after obtaining his lawyer's license, Song Yue went there for an interview. However, he never expected that after being hit by a car, he would wake up to find himself facing Qin Mo. Logically, he shouldn't be considered Qin Mo's employee, right? Besides, the intersection where his accident occurred was quite far from Qin's Law Firm…

Song Yue felt immense pressure from such stares, but still managed to answer the doctor's questions with bated breath. A short while later, two uniformed police officers entered the ward. Song Yue, enduring his headache, watched Qin Mo negotiate with the two officers. The serious expressions of the three men made Song Yue realize this wasn't a simple car accident. A nurse started an IV drip for Song Yue, and the doctor ordered several tests. When Song Yue returned to the ward, he found the two police officers gone. Qin Mo was sitting in the ward, waiting for him with a grave expression. The first thing Qin Mo said when he looked up at Song Yue was, "Who exactly are you?"

"Song Yue." Song Yue wouldn't forget his own name, and answered without hesitation. He recalled their previous conversation and couldn't help but chuckle, "President Qin, you don't think I got into a car accident and was transported to another world, do you?" "You know me?" Qin Mo raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. Song Yue felt a little awkward. He had just been interviewed by Qin Mo today; could this young master Qin be so forgetful that he'd already forgotten him? However, facing Qin Mo's X-ray-like gaze, Song Yue still honestly answered, "I just had an interview at Qin's Law Firm today, so of course I know you." "Interview?" Qin Mo was taken aback, staring at Song Yue as if pondering an unsolved problem, before finally smiling wryly, "What year do you think it is today?"

"Wasn't it 2008?" Song Yue found Qin Mo's question utterly ridiculous and was also uncomfortable with the way the young master spoke to him like a friend. He vividly remembered Qin Mo's expressionless, serious face during the interview just hours earlier. Qin Mo hadn't said a word, picked up his phone from the bedside table, tapped the screen a few times, and placed it in front of him. Song Yue muttered to himself, "No wonder he's rich, he uses such an advanced phone! It's a touchscreen?" He thought his Nokia N85, which he'd bought a few days ago, was already the most advanced! But his internal monologue was cut short. Song Yue stared dumbfounded at the date displayed on the phone screen: 2012?! Are you kidding me?!

Song Yue was dumbfounded, and Qin Mo was speechless. The doctor was quickly called back and performed some more complicated examinations on Song Yue before diagnosing him with psychogenic amnesia. This type of amnesia is caused by brain injury, resulting in the patient only being able to remember events from a certain period of time; they only remember the past and forget the present. Clearly, Song Yue had forgotten four years' worth of events all at once.

But for Song Yue, it felt like he'd just taken a nap, and when he opened his eyes again, four years had passed. He missed the Beijing Olympics, and the South Africa World Cup had been completely spoiled – Spain would win. It felt like the end of the year was the end of the world… But none of that mattered. Song Yue looked down and awkwardly fiddled with his iPhone 4s, only then realizing that this advanced touchscreen Apple phone was actually his own. He didn't recognize most of the names in his phone book, and a sense of panic rose in Song Yue's heart. It was as if someone had occupied his body and lived there for four years without his permission. "The doctor said you can be discharged. There's no obvious blood stasis or trauma to your brain. He suggested that you return to a familiar environment, which will help you recover your memories," Qin Mo told Song Yue while taking out his phone to instruct his assistant to process Song Yue's discharge paperwork.

Familiar surroundings? His parents were in his hometown. In this city, he only had a shared apartment with a friend, but he felt it was unlikely that he would still be living in that shared apartment four years later. He noticed that the suit jacket Qin Mo handed him was from a very famous brand, sold at a prominent counter in a large department store. Such a suit could cost several months' rent for his shared apartment. Looking down to confirm that the pants and jacket he was wearing were indeed a set, Song Yue cautiously put them on, feeling increasingly unreal. He had been awake for a while, and the pain in the back of his head had lessened thanks to the painkiller. Song Yue followed Qin Mo out of the hospital, and at the entrance, he subconsciously glanced at his reflection in the glasses.

It was indeed his face. Four years wasn't a long time, and he didn't look much different from when he first graduated from university. However, both his hairstyle and clothes gave him a mature air, as if he had been through the trials of life. Song Yue thought that if he had a more resolute and serious expression, he would resemble Qin Mo... Sitting in Qin Mo's BMW, Song Yue couldn't help but glance at him a few more times, only to be stunned by Qin Mo's words. "Don't look, this is your car." Qin Mo, noticing Song Yue's stiff expression out of the corner of his eye and misunderstanding his meaning, suggested, "Why don't you drive?"

Song Yue immediately shook his head; he remembered not having a driver's license. Of course, his memory wasn't complete, which meant that in those four years he not only got his driver's license but also bought a BMW?
"God!" He knew lawyers could earn a lot, but which lawyer wasn't exploited as an assistant in their early career? What had he done? Sitting nervously in the passenger seat, Song Yue looked out at the city and realized that in four years, the city had become increasingly unfamiliar. Many unfamiliar skyscrapers had replaced the old houses, and the traffic was incredibly congested; they were quickly stuck in traffic. Qin Mo seemed very familiar with this kind of traffic jam, calmly following the flow of cars ahead, inching forward. Song Yue suddenly remembered what Qin Mo had said when he first regained consciousness, and hesitantly asked, touching his throbbing head, "This injury... was it from being beaten?" "Yes, you were on the phone with me discussing a case." Qin Mo's grip on the steering wheel tightened almost imperceptibly, trying to suppress the anger in his chest. Song Yue fell silent. He knew lawyers easily offended people, but this had happened to him, and it wasn't something he could easily laugh off. He forced a smile and said, "It seems they just wanted to give me a warning, otherwise they wouldn't have made their move when I was on the phone."

Qin Mo's tense hands relaxed. He was satisfied that although Song Yue had lost four years of memories, he hadn't lost his calm and clear mind along with them. "Why don't you rest at home for a few days and come back to work when you've recovered?" "No need, I'll go to work tomorrow. I won't be able to rest properly like this." Song Yue felt that if he stayed at home doing nothing, he would definitely go crazy. "Besides, didn't the doctor say I should recover my memories in a familiar environment? I think I've definitely spent far more time at the firm than at home in these four years." This was a phrase every boss liked to hear, and even though Qin Mo wasn't in a good mood, he couldn't help but slightly curl the corners of his lips. At this moment, the traffic began to move slowly. Qin Mo spotted a gap and made a neat turn into an upscale residential area: "Okay."
"I'll pick you up at eight tomorrow morning." Only then did Song Yue realize that he and Qin Mo lived in the same neighborhood. He knew that senior lawyers at Qin's Law Firm enjoyed extremely high benefits, including housing assistance, but he had no idea he was doing so well. Seeing Qin Mo lock his car, hand over the keys, and get on the elevator, Song Yue obediently followed him silently to his apartment. Seeing that Song Yue seemed intent on going inside, Qin Mo helplessly pointed to the apartment across the street and said, "You really don't remember anything. You live in the apartment across the street." “Oh…” Song Yue found the key in his suit pocket, turned around to try it, and sure enough, the door opened. Qin Mo squinted as he watched Song Yue go in, waited patiently for a while, and only closed the door after finding nothing amiss. He always felt that Song Yue's personality after losing his memory was completely different from before… Not to mention how shocked Song Yue was that night to have a sizable place to live in such a prime city, nor how relieved he was to use the same password when he opened the advanced yet unfamiliar computer, Song Yue spent the whole night frantically trying to figure out what had happened to him in the past four years. Unfortunately, his room must have been cleaned by a cleaning lady, spotless, with little to no trace of his memories. His QQ and MSN chat history was also clean, suggesting he mostly used the company computer. The text messages on his phone were mostly advertisements or spam, indicating he probably made many phone calls.

That night, Song Yue researched major domestic and international events over the past four years online. As drowsiness crept in, the painkillers wore off, and even the hospital-prescribed painkillers were ineffective. He was essentially tormented by pain in a semi-conscious state, so he got up at dawn. After eating a few slices of bread, Song Yue opened his wardrobe and was immediately stunned by the sight of it full of suits. He wanted to check his bank account to see if it was negative. But he also knew that such expenses on appearance were unavoidable; working at a high-end place like Qin's Law Firm, it was company etiquette not to wear the same clothes every day. He casually chose a low-key silver-gray suit, tied a striped tie in front of the mirror, and realized that even the best clothes couldn't hide his haggard appearance. Who would have thought he'd be so unlucky, losing four years of his youth in the blink of an eye? He gave a self-deprecating smile to himself in the mirror, and at eight o'clock sharp, Song Yue opened the door, just in time to see Qin Mo walking out of the house across the street. "Good morning, take my car today." Qin Mo nodded to him, then walked to the elevator first. After Song Yue followed him down to the underground parking lot, he saw the other two people waiting and realized that President Qin was quite approachable; it wasn't special treatment that he was coming to work with him. It seemed carpooling with employees was a tradition at Qin's company. However, Song Yue noticed that the two people he was working with were partners at Qin's law firm, and they seemed quite familiar with him, immediately asking about his injury from yesterday. Song Yue didn't know how to answer for a moment, but fortunately, Qin Mo subtly changed the subject, as if he didn't want others to know his current situation. The group quickly started talking about a case they were currently handling. Song Yue listened quietly, knowing that Qin Mo was doing this intentionally, because he was also reportedly handling this case. It was just a very ordinary civil divorce property division case; although the amount was somewhat large, it wouldn't be enough to warrant a violent warning. Soon, Song Yue realized why Qin Mo was...

Qin Mo carpooled in the morning because the city traffic was just too frustrating. Even though it was only a ten-minute drive to the firm, it took almost an hour stuck in traffic. But during that hour, the group wasn't idle; they had already processed several cases on their tablets and sent out several appeals. Song Yue hadn't slept all night, and his appearance clearly showed he was in bad shape, so he remained silent, which didn't surprise anyone. As the traffic slowly moved forward, the four arrived at Qin's Law Firm's office building at exactly nine o'clock. Qin's Law Firm was located on the 16th to 18th floors of this building. Song Yue didn't know where his office was, but luckily Qin Mo told him to follow him. Song Yue naturally went up to the 18th floor, and then, to his horror, found his nameplate in front of an office door. Song Yue pointed incredulously, and Qin Mo slowly nodded. Song Yue felt even more horrified. He had a private office at Qin's? Well, considering he owned a luxury house and drove a BMW, having a private office wasn't surprising. Song Yue groggily pushed open the office door. The room was neat and clean, no different from any other ordinary office. Song Yue slumped onto the leather sofa, and before he could even muster the energy to check the situation on his computer, the phone on his desk rang.

"Brother Song, my name is Zhang Guan, I'm your assistant. May I come in?" A young voice came through the phone. He must have been informed of his situation by Qin Mo, so he introduced himself crisply and directly. Song Yue naturally wouldn't refuse. He desperately needed someone to help him with some basic knowledge, and Qin Mo clearly didn't have the time. After all, as the president of a law firm, it was already quite generous of him to personally pick him up from the hospital yesterday. Zhang Guan was an intern lawyer, a very young face, clearly a recent college graduate. The young man was tall, with long arms and legs, but he worked quite efficiently. He didn't ask many questions, and as soon as he came in, he brought Song Yue a strong cup of black coffee, then went out and brought him another strong cup of black coffee, then went out again and carried a thick stack of files, placing them on Song Yue's desk. “Brother Song, these are all cases you’ve handled since joining the firm. President Qin asked me to find them all for you to look through; maybe it will give you some inspiration.” Zhang Guan was very talkative and articulate. He quickly tidied up the stack of files, which was half a meter high, and pulled out the oldest one, placing it in front of Song Yue. Song Yue glanced at the date; it was from 2008, which should be the first case he handled after joining Qin's firm. He immediately became interested. He knew this was the easiest way to understand his work over the past four years, so he didn't hesitate and buried himself in the files. The more he looked, the more astonished he became. All the files were neatly organized. At first, Song Yue focused on the cases themselves, but gradually his attention was drawn to the court transcripts. According to the files, he only started handling cases independently in 2009, and before that, he had been an assistant to other lawyers. In the court transcripts after he started handling cases independently, his superb trial skills were evident. His cross-examination and arguments were direct, concise, and powerful. Song Yue could hardly believe that he could say these things; he had no memory of them at all.

He spent the entire day flipping through the files, and Song Yue felt dizzy and increasingly convinced that he had been possessed by a ghost for the past four years. He pushed the files on the table aside and asked Zhang Guan, who had been helping him flip through them, "Zhang Guan, you came here last year, right?" It was easy to guess; one could tell at a glance that Zhang Guan was a naive graduate.

Seeing Zhang Guan nod, Song Yue continued, "You've been by my side ever since you arrived? So, in your eyes, what kind of person am I?"

Zhang Guan, usually so straightforward, hesitated. This was a tricky thing to say! But he also knew that remaining silent now would be tantamount to courting death, so he carefully considered his words before saying, "Brother Song, you are someone everyone admires." He paused after speaking, and seeing Song Yue raise an eyebrow, he quickly continued, "Of course, what everyone admires about Brother Song is his ability. However, Brother Song never smiles usually, and he never chats with us. He's always very businesslike. Everyone says in private that Brother Song is a workaholic."

Song Yue was speechless. The files Zhang Guan had brought earlier were only a part of the case. Later, he brought many more. It was clear that he had taken on a lot of cases in the past four years. In addition, he was extremely efficient. So it was not surprising that he had been able to climb to his current position.

But that doesn't make sense! A personality that only knows how to work is completely unlike him!

Zhang Guan noticed that Song Yue wasn't as serious as before, so he boldly started gossiping. He was always talkative, and once he started, Song Yue gleaned a lot of information. Song Yue learned that he was about to become a partner at Qin's Law Firm, and that his partnership status would be confirmed at the shareholders' meeting at the end of the month.

This should certainly not be the reason he was beaten. Those jealous people with dark hearts would not use such a simple and crude trick, but would use a more insidious conspiracy.

Song Yue reviewed the cases he was handling again; none of them seemed to have a motive. After all, he was just a civil lawyer, not involved in criminal cases, but after reviewing some court transcripts, he wasn't so sure anymore. Even he found them unbearable to read, let alone his clients.

Perhaps someone who has served their sentence and been released from prison is seeking revenge? Civil cases are usually settled out of court, and even if someone goes to jail, the sentence is generally quite short. Song Yue shared his thoughts with Zhang Guan, and the two began screening cases. Before they had been working for long, Qin Mo pushed open the door and came in, saying that he had retrieved the surveillance footage from the police station at the time of the incident.

Song Yue knew that Qin Mo must have put in a lot of effort, otherwise the police wouldn't have acted so quickly. The three of them stared at the scene on the computer screen. The incident happened in the afternoon, and there were passersby. Song Yue saw his own back as he walked past while talking on the phone on the screen. Then he could clearly see a figure dart out from the side, hit him on the back of the head with a wooden stick, and then run away.

The surveillance footage had no sound, but watching it still gave Song Yue a sharp pain in the back of his head. There was still some footage left in the video, and the three of them watched it silently, seeing Song Yue lying there unconscious. Song Yue suddenly felt something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The video only stopped after Qin Mo's figure appeared on the surveillance footage. Qin Mo, seeing Song Yue's questioning gaze, pointed at his phone and said, "Luckily, it has a location tracking function, and you told me where you were when you were talking to me on the phone."

“The suspect was wearing a hat, so you couldn’t see his face at all. I asked a few nearby shopkeepers afterward, and no one noticed anyone suspicious.” Zhang Guan had obviously been to the scene yesterday as well, but unfortunately there were just too many transient people in the city, so it was impossible to continue the investigation. “The wooden stick was also found in a nearby trash can, but unfortunately no fingerprints were found, so the clue went cold.”

"So Song Yue, you shouldn't act alone for the next two days," Qin Mo decided. In his many years as a lawyer, he had encountered retaliation before, but this time it was his most trusted subordinate who was involved, and it happened while he was on the phone with him. He had to find out the truth.

Song Yue was thus assigned to a position where he was personally picked up and dropped off by President Qin Mo every day, while his assistant Zhang Guan took care of all other trivial matters. He simply buried himself in the files, recalling his memories from the past four years.

For the next week, nothing else went wrong, and Song Yue was able to memorize all the cases he had handled in the past four years. And on this day, it was time for him to go to court to defend himself.

"Brother Song, are you sure you can handle this? Should we get someone else to do it for you?" After Zhang Guan and Song Yue became more familiar with each other, Zhang Guan started speaking to him more casually. Comparatively, he preferred the amnesiac Song Yue, because the stern Song Yue of the past was like a robot that only knew how to work.

"No need, I can handle it." Song Yue organized the materials in his hands. Although he had lost four years of his memory, he hadn't lost any of the legal knowledge he learned in school. Besides, he had been reviewing court records for a week. Civil cases often involved property disputes, either divorces or inheritance battles, and there weren't many new tricks to them. Although he wasn't confident that he could handle it as cleanly and efficiently as before, he wasn't incapable of doing so.

"Hey? Brother Song, aren't you wearing that thumb ring today?" Zhang Guan reminded Song Yue as he finished tidying up and was about to leave. Then, realizing Song Yue didn't remember anything, Zhang Guan walked over, opened a drawer in his desk, and took out a small brocade box. "Brother Song, you have a strange habit. This thumb ring is something you have to wear when you go to court."

Song Yue was slightly taken aback. Having a lucky charm wasn't unusual; for example, he used to use the same pen to answer exam questions when he was in school, which was indeed his style. But what made him pause was that he actually remembered this ring.

He acquired this thumb ring four years ago, shortly before his job interview at Qin's company, at an antique shop. It's a sloping thumb ring with a string groove, made of bone, which has turned a light brown color due to its age. The shop owner said it was made of tiger bone. He didn't really care what the material was; he had tried it on once and couldn't get it off no matter what he said. Fortunately, it wasn't expensive, and he bought it without much thought at the time.

Song Yue recalled that he seemed to have worn this thumb ring to the interview at Qin's Law Firm, and Qin Mo had even asked him about its origin. He was sure he was wearing it during the car accident as well.

So, after the car accident, he was able to take off the ring?

Song Yue inexplicably felt that his four years of lost memories might be related to this strange ring, so when Zhang Guan handed it to him, he instinctively refused, not even touching it, and told Zhang Guan to put it back. Although Zhang Guan found it strange, he didn't say anything, assuming that Song Yue simply didn't remember the ring.

The trial went smoothly. Although it was Song Yue's first time appearing in court, he didn't make any mistakes, and the case was won without incident.

Song Yue noticed that Zhang Guan looked surprised, so he asked him privately. Since they had become familiar with each other recently, Zhang Guan was very open with him and said that he was surprised that Song Yue had changed his method of cross-examination and debate.

Zhang Guan vividly used the analogy of martial arts, comparing Song Yue to someone who usually used Ximen Chuixue's swordsmanship—a style where speed was paramount, a straightforward and simple strike to the heart. But the current Song Yue is like Guo Jing, who has cultivated internal strength, winning through power and persuading others with virtue.

Song Yue's eyes twitched upon hearing this; what kind of nonsensical analogy was this? But he had to admit it was quite vivid. Having been familiar with the files from the past four years, Song Yue certainly knew what sharp words would be more effective in court, but this was undeniably too cold-blooded.

One should be more tactful in dealing with people. The power of words can be comparable to swords, or even more terrifying. The wounds they inflict are invisible and much harder to heal.

Most importantly, as the saying goes, "A skilled warrior dies in battle, a skilled swimmer drowns in the water." Words, this sharp blade, are a double-edged sword; they can not only cut others but also harm oneself. Song Yue knew he had been betrayed, probably because of the trouble he caused by his own words.

He didn't know what he had been thinking for the past four years. Logically speaking, being so sharp-tongued wasn't his nature, but these past few days, as he gradually learned about what had happened over the past four years, he began to feel confused. Because everything in the room was arranged according to his habits, even the documents saved on his computer were the same, making it very convenient to find things.

Unable to figure it out, Song Yue returned to the firm, greeted his colleagues casually, then, slightly embarrassed by their uncomfortably surprised expressions, quickly walked back to his office. It's been a week already; hasn't it subtly gotten them used to it yet? Does he have to keep wearing a stiff, expressionless face from now on?

Bored, Song Yue turned on his computer and saw the surveillance video on his desktop. He subconsciously clicked on it and played it on a loop. He stared at the suspect's figure, trying hard to recall any clues, but the more he watched, the uglier his face became.

When Qin Mo pushed open the door, he saw Song Yue sitting behind the computer screen with a gloomy expression. For a moment, he thought that Song Yue had regained his memories of the past four years, and he felt quite regretful.

It's important to understand that since Song Yue started working at their firm, he's been known as an iceberg, not having many close relationships with anyone except his boss, Qin Mo. This interaction was likely only because the firm was his. He was a complete workaholic, and naturally, this was the kind of employee Qin Mo greatly appreciated, which is why he had consistently promoted him over the past four years. However, as Song Yue took on more and more cases, Qin Mo increasingly felt dissatisfied. In their line of work as lawyers, connections are paramount, and even if you're defending an opposing side today, the other side might need your help tomorrow.

Song Yue's mouth was too offensive, so Qin Mo didn't dare let him handle major clients and could only put him in charge of civil cases. Otherwise, if Song Yue had taken on criminal cases, he might have been stabbed to death long ago.

He paid special attention to today's court proceedings and suddenly realized that Song Yue's personality had changed beyond just amnesia; even his courtroom skills had changed accordingly. His smooth and skillful victory left his opponents completely convinced and without resentment, truly aligning with Qin Mo's principle of "making money through harmony."

A lawyer who doesn't offend anyone is extremely rare, because the legal profession is inherently about offending people.

Of course, Song Yue went too far in the past.

Qin Mo was still feeling regretful, but he didn't stop walking. He went over to look at Song Yue's computer screen and stared in surprise at the surveillance video playing on the screen: "What's wrong? What did you find out?"

Song Yue pointed to the passersby on the screen and said in a deep voice, "The place where I was attacked is not far from the company, but it took a full five minutes for you to arrive. In those five minutes, so many people passed by, but not a single person came forward to check on the situation. At most, they just called 110 to report it."

Song Yue felt something was off the first time he saw it, and now he finally realized it. In broad daylight, a suspect committed a crime, and not a single person intervened, just letting him lie there in the road to die? This is utterly absurd!
Qin Mo was taken aback for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "Song Yue, it seems you still haven't regained your memory. There are fewer people doing good deeds these days, especially in our city. And... speaking of which, this whole thing started because of you."

Song Yue was stunned. Where did this come from?

Qin Mo glanced at Song Yue's office. Song Yue had been reviewing his cases from the past four years, so the files hadn't been taken away. Qin Mo searched for a while, then pulled out a file folder from the very bottom of the pile and handed it to Song Yue: "Take a look at it yourself first."

Song Yue took the file and saw that it was actually from 2008, a case from when he first joined Qin's Law Firm. Since he was just an assistant to another lawyer at the time, not the lead defense attorney, and his name wasn't on the court records, Song Yue hadn't looked at it. Opening the file with a puzzled look, Song Yue immediately understood Qin Mo's meaning.

This was actually a very simple case: the defendant and plaintiff collided somewhere, the plaintiff fractured his leg, and demanded compensation for medical expenses. However, even such a small case didn't end simply. Because the police report was lost, the defendant recanted his previous testimony, claiming he had only helped the plaintiff out of kindness. The defendant then informed several friends on online forums, instantly amplifying the matter's impact. With the media, always eager to stir up trouble, getting involved, things suddenly became complicated. Song Yue, holding the documents, was at a loss. He didn't know what role he had played in all this, because his name was only mentioned a few times in the file. But thinking about the records from the past four years, he knew he had gone to great lengths to cover it up.

“We were the defendant’s lawyers, and we were also significantly affected at the time. The lawyer who handled the case that year moved to another law firm after the case was closed.” Qin Mo flipped through the documents, pointing to one of the photocopies. “The case ultimately ended with us losing, which is quite normal, of course. After all, the defendant really did hit someone, but no one could have imagined it would have such a huge impact. The plaintiff and the defendant reached an agreement, and on the basis of the defendant’s compensation, they signed an agreement that neither party would disclose any information related to the case in the media.”

"Wouldn't that mean no one would know the real truth?" Song Yue was taken aback. This agreement was clearly a cover-up for the defendant. A liar was able to escape public condemnation and instead appear aggrieved after losing money.

Qin Mo didn't say much, only calmly stating, "Song Yue, we are lawyers."

Song Yue remained silent. He had understood the legal profession very clearly when he chose to study law: regardless of whether the person he was defending was truly guilty or innocent, he would strive to protect their maximum rights and interests. Under this standard, the case was clearly handled very successfully, but…

"No one expected the final impact to be so huge." Qin Mo patted Song Yue's shoulder reassuringly. "A few months ago, a reporter revisited the case, interviewed the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and completely disclosed all the details of the case. Unfortunately, no one cares about what really happened anymore. In the information age, what attracts attention is always the uglier events. The focus of public opinion is fleeting. Few people will dig into what really happened."

Song Yue's throat tightened. He couldn't recall how he had faced such a case four years ago; his mind was completely blank regarding it.

But if time could be turned back four years, what choice would he make?

This is a question that cannot be answered.

That's right, lawyers must tell the truth, but they can choose to tell only part of the truth. Song Yue let out a deep breath and twitched his lips, saying, "I think that person knocked on my head because they wanted me to experience the desolation and helplessness of being left out in the street. I'm afraid the lawyer in charge of this case, Lawyer Li, will probably encounter something similar."

Upon hearing this, Qin Mo immediately made a phone call to inquire, and then made several more calls. Sure enough, he sighed and said, "That's right, Attorney Li encountered the same situation as you, as did the defendant. As for the judge in charge of this case, there isn't one. It's probably because they moved to a different city and couldn't find him."

Instead of the relief that his doubts had been resolved, Song Yue's face grew even more somber.

Qin Mo didn't say much, knowing that in their line of work, morality was a hurdle they had to overcome.

The previous Song Yue acted too decisively, while the current Song Yue clearly needs to be re-evaluated.

Now that he understood the suspect's intentions—that they only wanted to teach them a lesson and not do anything else—Song Yue was no longer as paranoid as before.

But it always feels like there's a thorn stuck in my heart that I can't get rid of no matter what.

This is good too; it reminds me of the appropriate limits for my actions in the future.

Song Yue successfully handled many cases and became a new partner at Qin's Law Firm, taking on a much wider range of cases.

That day, he received a call from Zhang Guan, who said someone was coming to see him without an appointment. Zhang Guan added that the person was strange.

Song Yue had some free time at the moment, so he asked Zhang Guan to lead the people in. Soon after, someone pushed open the office door and entered. Song Yue immediately saw the young man with a dragon embroidered on his black shirt.

He looks familiar. Where have I seen him before? Just as Song Yue was handing over his business card to greet him, the man waved his hand and refused, saying, "I'm not here to ask you for advice. I want to buy something from you."

"What is that?" Song Yue was taken aback, not understanding what the other person meant.

"A thumb ring," the man said calmly. "I suppose this thing is useless to you now, so just sell it back to me."

Song Yue then remembered that this person should be the antique shop owner from four years ago when he bought the thumb ring. At that time, the man was wearing a Zhongshan suit embroidered with a red dragon. He has changed his clothes! However, Song Yue really disliked this thumb ring. He couldn't throw it away, nor could he give it away. Keeping it in the drawer was a hot potato. Upon hearing this, he immediately took it out and handed it to the shop owner.

The shopkeeper didn't hesitate; he took out a few RMB notes and placed them on the table, then took the brocade box containing the thumb ring and prepared to leave.

Song Yue hurriedly asked, "Boss, what is the origin of this ring?" He dared not say that his four years of abnormal life were because of this ring, but he felt uneasy if he didn't find out.

The boss turned around, looking at him with a half-smile, and said, "Do you know what a thumb ring is used for? In ancient times, a thumb ring was called a 'she', which means 'shooting technique.' It appeared as early as the Shang Dynasty and was a tool used by archers to hold the bowstring and shoot their prey. Although it is not a weapon like a sword or knife, it is still an accomplice and has a powerful killing aura."

Song Yue was taken aback by what he heard, sensing a hidden meaning in the boss's words. Wasn't the profession of lawyer quite similar to this thumb ring?
"Furthermore, this thumb ring was used by King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa, when he founded the Zhou Dynasty. It can make the wearer full of fierce energy and make them make all the most favorable judgments for themselves."

Song Yue didn't know what to say, but he was also somewhat unconvinced. Antique dealers were always eloquent, and he, a lawyer who also made a living with words, was left speechless, which was quite frustrating.

"Don't worry, the reason you couldn't take off this ring before was probably because the residual evil energy in it affected your personality. After these past few years of guidance, it should have all disappeared," the old man said slowly. Naturally, there was no trace of apology on his face. It was no accident that this Tail-shaped ring chose this person. This person's rationality and emotion were too extreme, making it easy for him to go astray. The old man believed that this had little to do with the Tail-shaped ring as a trigger.

It's like the serpent that tempted Eve to eat the apple in the Garden of Eden; even without the temptation of any sinful society, Eve would have done it sooner or later.

Just a matter of time.

Whether this situation is good or bad is unclear. After all, according to the Bible, Adam and Eve eventually gave birth to humankind, and a momentary mistake doesn't prove anything.

Knowing mistakes can be corrected, and doing good things is great.

As the boss left the office building, he appeared to be playing with the ring on his finger, but in reality, he was subtly stuffing the rabbit doll that was slowly crawling out of his pocket back into his clothes.

"Just one look! No one will notice." The doctor's exasperated voice came muffled from his pocket, clearly he was getting impatient.

"Someone's watching," the shopkeeper said casually, but as the rabbit plushie wobbled out again, he didn't put it back in.

"Isn't that Hu Hai?" The doctor caught sight of a figure standing in the shadows at the alley entrance. His silver hair made him stand out. Since there had been a large anime convention nearby, passersby were used to such unusual hair and eye colors and didn't pay much attention. However, the little red bird on his shoulder was adorable and would occasionally act cute. This combination of a handsome man and a pet bird certainly attracted attention, drawing many glances. The doctor even saw many people taking out their phones to take pictures from a distance: "By the way, what's this young master doing here? Is he following us? Wait, boss, didn't you use the Dragon Pattern to recruit Hu Hai? Did you summon him?"

"He must have come for this tiger bone." The shopkeeper rubbed the ring on his finger and smiled slightly. "Although he is controlled by me using the Dragon Pattern Ring, we can't alert him. A good knife should be used where it's needed most." With that, the shopkeeper turned around and waved the tiger bone ring in Hu Hai's direction. The other man had clearly seen the shopkeeper's every move. His face darkened, and he opened the large black umbrella in his hand, held it over his head, and strode away.

The doctor looked up at the bright sunshine overhead and clicked his tongue in amazement, saying, "Really? This young master is actually afraid of getting a tan like a young lady?"

The shopkeeper watched Hu Hai's figure walking in the sunlight until he reached the street corner and disappeared from sight, then slowly said, "Because he cannot be exposed to sunlight."

"Huh? He's a vampire? And he's afraid of sunlight? If we're going to deal with him, will we need to prepare garlic and a cross?" The doctor grumbled, then suddenly remembered something and exclaimed happily, "By the way, that aquamarine was actually carved into an image of Jesus Christ in agony! That cross shape...did Young Master Hu just ask for trouble?"

Although the boss was in a bad mood, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips slightly when he heard the doctor's remarks.

"Vampires are such lowly creatures, not worth mentioning. Haven't you ever wondered? There are only two Crimson Dragon Robes; one I've always worn, and the other was buried with Fusu in Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum. How did Hu Hai survive until now?" "Huh? Isn't it because he also took the elixir of immortality?" The doctor then realized something was amiss. He pondered for a long time, then said, puzzled, "This is indeed quite strange. Look at his silver-white hair and crimson eyes… Could Hu Hai have used some kind of heaven-defying method?"

The shopkeeper couldn't help but touch the gruesome old wound on his neck, sighing, "We both took the elixir of immortality, but the difference is, I've died once, I'm practically a corpse, only the Crimson Dragon Robe keeps my body immortal. Hu Hai, on the other hand, has lived perfectly well. While the elixir of immortality is a miraculous medicine, granting longevity and eternal youth, his hair will slowly turn white like an old man's, and his crimson eyes will likely follow suit. As for not being able to withstand sunlight, that's understandable. He should have died young, and without the Crimson Dragon Robe's protection, his yin energy is abundant, naturally unable to withstand the direct sunlight with its strong yang energy. Although he's modified half of the Crimson Dragon Robe into a cloak, unlike me who wears it year after year, its effects aren't as noticeable."

Although the doctor was a carefree and not particularly observant person, he could still sense the melancholy in the boss's words. He suddenly realized why the boss's gaze had been so complex when he looked at Hu Hai's figure just now.

Perhaps in this world, only Hu Hai could truly sympathize with the boss's plight. Both men experienced the ups and downs of life over two thousand years, witnessing the vicissitudes of human affairs. The doctor suddenly realized that immortality wasn't necessarily a good thing; one could only stay in each place for a few years before hastily leaving before others became suspicious. Watching those one cared about grow old one by one, ultimately ending up only with antiquities as companions…

The doctor quietly wrapped his long ears around the boss's hand, drawing his attention back to the boss.

Even if the boss is incredibly lonely, he shouldn't even think about finding Hu Hai as a companion. And Fusu, who possessed his body, should definitely not dream about it either.
Fusu put down the medical book in his hand and rubbed his aching temples. Although he possessed the memories of a doctor's body, the study of medicine was endless, and he was only a novice physician with much more to learn. For example, there were dozens of surgical suturing methods, each requiring individual assessment based on the patient's condition, and demanding diligent practice before surgery. Fusu was a bit of a perfectionist, always striving for excellence in everything he did, which left him feeling somewhat physically and mentally exhausted.

A freshly brewed cup of Biluochun tea was placed beside him. Fusu inhaled the aroma, feeling his headache ease slightly. He glanced slightly at Huhai standing beside him, then picked up the teacup, stirred the floating tea leaves with the lid, and said calmly, "You haven't obtained the tiger bone thumb ring yet, have you?"

"Your Majesty, I acted rashly and failed." Hu Hai lowered his head, like a child who had done something wrong and was waiting for a scolding from an adult. In truth, he wasn't without a chance to retrieve the tiger bone thumb ring, but he had lived through two thousand years. Although he had spent most of his time sleeping in his tomb, he knew that times had changed, and his elder brother's wish was probably difficult to fulfill. He felt that living with his elder brother, watching him go to work at the hospital every day, and getting along like ordinary brothers was a good choice.

Fusu glanced at him with a half-smile, said nothing, but lowered his head to blow on the teacup in his hand to cool it down, and took a small sip.

Hu Hai's clothes were soaked with cold sweat. Although his elder brother hadn't said a word, the aura emanating from him was so powerful that Hu Hai didn't even dare to breathe too loudly. He felt that his elder brother was acting strangely. Although he had said that he would rebuild the Qiankun Array, Fusu had been going to and from get off work every day in place of the doctor for the past few months, and hadn't even gone out of town once. This made Hu Hai uneasy.

Is it because they don't trust him? Or are they plotting something?
Seeing the beads of sweat on his lazy underling's forehead, Fusu waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. Let's have roast duck for dinner. If you're too lazy to go out, just order takeout."

Hu Hai was slightly taken aback. Although he felt that his elder brother had become increasingly sedentary these days, he did not go against his wishes and went to order takeout.

Fusu stroked the He Shi Bi jade on the table, narrowed his eyes slightly, and murmured, 'Only six imperial artifacts? No rush... no rush...'

　small theater
　　Doctor: Boss... um...

　　boss:?
　　Doctor: That thumb ring... what was it called again?

　　Boss: Actually, you don't recognize the last character, do you?
　　Doctor: Hehe... Don't laugh at me for being illiterate... Chinese characters are profound and complex, it's perfectly normal to not recognize some characters!

　　Boss: The character 韘 is pronounced "shē". Got it? The shape of this character is not easy to remember. Go write it a hundred times!
　　Doctor: ...Hey...Do you think my arm is big enough to hold a pen? My fingers aren't even separated!!!!

　　boss:……

　　
　
(End of this chapter)