"Sir, please calm down. We can talk things through!"
"Put down the knife first, please trust us!"
"Elderly sir, think of your children, think of your grandchildren. You still want to see them grow up!"
"Where is this elder's son? Quick, come and stop your father!"
The police negotiators shouted frantically, appealing to emotions and reasoning, doing their utmost.
Old Man Li's heart ached with sorrow, his eyes reddened, and he knelt on the ground, his knife-wielding hand trembling.
He choked out, "You are all good people, I don't blame you. Don't overthink it. It's my fault, Old Li Tou, for inviting trouble and letting that scumbag surnamed Ye have the chance to cheat the whole village. Now he's gone, the money can't be recovered, and I've failed everyone, failed the ancestors of Gaohai Village..."
Hearing Old Man Li's deathly declaration, the expert negotiators were completely panicked.
The media workers, meanwhile, didn't dare to blink, fearing they would miss this earth-shattering news.
At this moment, one of the negotiators had to lie.
"That swindler surnamed Ye has been found, truly found! The police are bringing him here, he'll be here in five minutes, just five more minutes!"
Old Man Li heard this and smiled.
"My good man, don't lie to me. If you had really found him, why didn't you tell us earlier? He's already on his way, and you're only telling me now? Don't try to persuade me, it has nothing to do with you. My death is deserved, it's all the fault of that Ye fellow."
Saying this, tears welled up in Old Man Li's eyes, and he cried, "I hate that swindler surnamed Ye, he has no conscience at all! He cheated so much money from our village, I really want to dig out his heart and see if it's black or white!"
His face was dark, and the years had left deep marks on Old Man Li's face. Such an honest and upright image was now weeping profusely.
It was enough to make those who heard it grieve and those who saw it shed tears, filling their hearts with even deeper hatred for that Ye fellow.
After speaking, Old Man Li closed his eyes. The cold fruit knife, under the sunlight, glinted sharply, as if it would pierce his throat at any moment.
Some of the timid onlookers also closed their eyes, as if they couldn't bear to witness the scene of the sharp knife piercing a throat.
But at this moment, someone in the crowd shouted loudly.
"Don't be impulsive, don't be impulsive! That Ye fellow is here, he's really here!"
With these words, Old Man Li's movements froze, and he opened his eyes.
Seeing the crowd, several layers deep, and the commotion from behind, he stiffened.
Clang~
The dagger in his hand fell to the ground uncontrollably. The next second, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he yelled at the approaching police officers.
"Don't come any closer!"
At the same time, he quickly picked up the dagger and held it to his throat, while the surrounding villagers also tightly surrounded him!
They looked as if they would absolutely not allow any police officers to approach.
The police, who were prepared to carry out a forceful rescue, could only sigh at this sight, and their original plan was aborted.
On the other side, at the edge of the crowd, the onlookers spontaneously parted to form a passage, and a Volkswagen Passat slowly drove in.
As the car door opened, a man in his thirties, dressed in a formal suit, stepped out.
A crisp suit and tie, polished leather shoes – he was the picture of a successful person.
The crowd immediately stirred.
Faint sighs could be heard.
"Is this the swindler surnamed Ye?"
"No way, he looks so presentable, and he's not that old. Could he be that heartless?"
"Damn it, what do you know? Those educated folks are the most cunning, don't judge a book by its cover, understand?"
Similar comments were endless, but they were all whispered discussions.
However, these words also reached the ears of Old Man Li and the others, and they became agitated.
Not old, educated...
Isn't this the hallmark of Mr. Ye?
If it were a fake police officer or negotiator, would they send a young person?
Moreover, they had seen that Ye fellow before, and even if he turned to ash, they wouldn't mistake him!
Old Man Li's eyes were fixed on the passage being cleared through the crowd.
Countless people took out their phones to film.
They all wanted to see what this heartless, abominable swindler looked like!
The newcomer did not cover his face with a mask or anything. He walked over openly, his back straight all the way.
The only thing that could be said to be different.
Perhaps it was the briefcase he held in his hand?
Head held high, chest out, abdomen in – his demeanor was not that of an ordinary person.
When Old Man Li clearly saw the newcomer's face, his hopeful expression immediately faded, replaced by immense rage.
"You are not that Ye fellow! Who are you? Make that swindler surnamed Ye come and see us!"
The other villagers were also filled with fury.
"That's right, that swindler surnamed Ye, we'd recognize him even if he turned to ash!"
"Come out, make that swindler surnamed Ye come out!"
The other onlookers were also extremely angry. They had been waiting here for so long, even clearing a path, and now it turned out to be a fake?
So their waiting in the cold wind for so long was in vain?
They wouldn't get to watch the drama and gossip anymore?
Even Yang Yue, who was watching silently from the crowd, was somewhat perplexed.
What was going on?
Facing the torrent of anger from all sides, the young man remained unhurried, took a document from his briefcase, and unfolded it.
"Hello, sir. Let me introduce myself first, I am Mr. Ye's lawyer. This is his letter of authorization. You can call me Lawyer Zhang. And you, what is your name?"
Lawyer Zhang's calmness startled Old Man Li, who then said angrily,
"What business is it of yours? You lawyers only know how to help those heartless rich people! Where is that swindler surnamed Ye? Make him come out and see me!"
"That's right, make him come out and see us!"
"What kind of heartless lawyer is this, actually defending such a criminal."
"Tsk, don't you know these lawyers only care about money and not people?"
"Quick, film this, let the vast number of netizens see what kind of person has the right to a lawyer's license!"
Not only Old Man Li and the villagers, but even the surrounding onlookers were enraged.
For the public, what they wanted to see was the criminal brought to justice.
Or, even better, to see Ye fellow confronting the villagers and creating a spectacle.
Why would a lawyer come and butt in?
Facing the accusations and curses from everyone, Lawyer Zhang said unhurriedly,
"Since I have been retained by Mr. Ye, I can naturally represent him fully. Furthermore, the person who just called me a heartless lawyer, step forward now, I can sue you for defamation."
"As a friendly reminder, according to Article 246, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China, intentionally fabricating and spreading false facts that sufficiently demean a person's character and damage their reputation, if the circumstances are serious, can result in imprisonment."
"As for my acceptance of Mr. Ye's commission, it is naturally because I believe my client has committed no illegal or criminal acts. On the contrary, I will also legally represent my client in pursuing responsibility from these villagers, as they have infringed upon my client's legitimate rights and interests."
This statement shocked everyone present.
The public naturally dared not slander a lawyer anymore.
As for the police and negotiators, they truly hated Ye Yun.
After all this, you wouldn't come yourself, but send a junior lawyer to handle it?
Do you think these villagers will reason with a lawyer?