40: See, she admitted it was a fraud (two in one)

Time flew by, and it was already the next morning.

At the Yangshan District Court's Pre-Litigation Mediation Center, Zhou Yun was already seated in the conference room, with Wang Shenggang beside him, looking a bit pale.

"Writer Wang, let's not be so nervous, okay? It's just mediation, nothing serious," Zhou Yun said with a smile, looking at Wang Shenggang.

Wang Shenggang's lips were trembling as he whispered, "Lawyer Zhou, what should I say when I see her later? I just sued her out of the blue, I..."

"Just say whatever you need to say. Didn't you want to ask her why she was so heartless? Don't overthink it. For me, as long as I can get you two to meet, I've fulfilled my contract."

Zhou Yun chuckled as he said this.

Wang Shenggang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. After a few days of interaction, he realized that Lawyer Zhou was indeed highly skilled, but also had a mischievous streak.

Zhou Yun, however, said, "Anyway, since we have nothing to do now, let me simulate it for you."

"When your ex-girlfriend comes in later, she'll definitely ask you why you sued her, and she'll say you're not a man at all, asking for things back that you gave away, and so on."

"You'll probably be unable to resist asking her why she suddenly disappeared, right?"

Wang Shenggang thought about it carefully and realized that it was indeed likely to happen that way.

Zhou Yun continued, "Then, what do you think your ex-girlfriend will say? There's a fifty percent chance she'll say you still don't know why she disappeared, and that you don't understand her at all!"

"Likewise, there's a fifty percent chance she'll say she wanted to see your attitude."

Blaming the victim, a classic move. Lawyers who handle many related cases usually know this.

When it comes to the point of a lawsuit, basically nine out of ten people react this way.

Wang Shenggang looked a bit lost and was about to say something when the conference room door was pushed open, and a middle-aged woman entered with two young women.

Seeing the two young women, Wang Shenggang swallowed his words and whispered beside Lawyer Zhou, "Lawyer Zhou, the one behind, that's my gi... my ex-girlfriend."

Zhou Yun nodded, "It's fine. If you really don't want to talk later, I'll speak for you. I'm a professional at mediation and communication."

At this moment, the middle-aged woman had already begun, "Oh, Lawyer Zhou, you're already here. Alright, everyone's here now."

"Shall we begin?"

Zeng Xiaolu had been staring at Wang Shenggang since she entered the room. Now, she directly said with a dark face, "Wang Shenggang, you're really something, suing me, huh? And blocking me?"

"Now you've really grown some guts, you..."

The middle-aged woman was the mediator. She frowned, preparing to say something, but Zhou Yun directly interjected.

"Ms. Zeng, you're mistaken. You and Mr. Wang are equals. You can disappear without a word and block Mr. Wang, and likewise, he has the same right."

"As for suing, Article 8 of the Civil Procedure Law clearly states that parties to a civil lawsuit have equal litigation rights. Similarly, if you feel it's unreasonable, you can also file a counterclaim."

Huh? Wang Shenggang was stunned. No, Lawyer Zhou, with your approach, you still claim to be a professional at mediation and communication?

However, just as he had this thought, Zhou Yun seemed to guess it, turned his head, and smiled, "How about it, Writer Wang, professional enough?"

Wang Shenggang: "..."

How to put it, it was indeed professional. He explained it from both legal principles and legal regulations, so no one could say he wasn't professional.

Across from them, Zeng Xiaolu's brows were already furrowed, "Who are you?"

Zhou Yun promptly handed over a business card, "I am Mr. Wang's attorney, Lawyer Zhou Yun of Tianhe Law Firm."

Zeng Xiaolu was also stunned by Zhou Yun's demeanor. No, can't this person understand common sense?

Was I asking about your identity?

Just as she was about to say something, the middle-aged woman beside her spoke, "Alright, everyone is here for mediation, so let's not argue for now."

However, Zeng Xiaolu completely ignored her at this point, looking directly at Wang Shenggang and yelling, "Wang Shenggang, speak up! Aren't you so great for suing me? Come on, tell me what you want to do?"

Zeng Xiaolu's best friend beside her also said, "Such a grown man, asking for things back that he gave to a girl. I've never seen a man like that."

"And suing? A man like you, who haggles over such a small amount of money, deserves to be single!"

Wang Shenggang, provoked repeatedly, finally couldn't help but say, "What do I want to do? I just want to ask you why you left me! What did I do wrong!"

After speaking, he suddenly realized something. Holy cow, this Lawyer Zhou is a bit divine!

Hearing this, a hint of disdain appeared in Zeng Xiaolu's eyes. Sure enough, he was still the same.

So she directly said, "You still have the nerve to ask me? You can't even guess this, how can I be with you? You don't understand me at all!"

Here it comes, here it comes, the classic line. No matter what the other person is like, always blame them first.

It's about making you guess. If you can't even guess my thoughts, then that means you don't understand me at all.

Wang Shenggang was like he had been struck by lightning,stunnedstaying there speechless for a long time.

Seeing this reaction, Zeng Xiaolu became even more smug. Indeed, this person was still the same as always.

Zhou Yun smiled at Wang Shenggang, then said, "Ms. Zeng, you just asked why he sued you. The answer is simple: because he wants to see your attitude!"

"Yes, what he wants is your attitude!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Zeng Xiaolu and her best friend both froze.

Even the dazed Wang Shenggang turned his head, full of questions.

Zhou Yun's words could be said to be a phrase many young women often used: "I don't want your money, I want your attitude."

For example, when asking for a bride price, or when giving gifts, and so on.

What kind of situation counts as a good attitude? If you buy me such cheap gifts, what kind of good attitude is that?

It must be when you spend a lot of money, that's what's called a good attitude.

At this moment, Zhou Yun used it directly, and the effect was extraordinarily good.

After all, everyone knows that only magic can fight magic!

Zeng Xiaolu held it in for a long time before finally saying, "What's it to you? This is between me and Wang Shenggang!"

Zhou Yun still said, "I've already said I'm his attorney. Since I've taken his money, I naturally have to work for him. That's called professional attitude."

"On the contrary, you, after dating for a year, obtained gifts and cash exceeding 80,000 yuan under various pretexts, and then disappeared without a word."

"Now you can't even give a reason, but instead make the other party guess? Is that reasonable?"

Zeng Xiaolu stood up directly and yelled, "I'm like this, can you control me? None of your business, he gave it to me willingly!"

The mediator beside them finally spoke, "Alright, everyone, stop arguing. Lawyer Zhou, how about you just tell us what it would take for you to agree to mediation?"

Zhou Yun immediately replied, "It's very simple on our side: return all the money and gifts. If the gifts can't be returned, a discounted price is fine."

The mediator then looked at Zeng Xiaolu, who yelled, "Dream on! I won't return a single penny! I've never seen anyone ask for money back after a breakup!"

Zhou Yun immediately smiled, "You see? It's clearly impossible to negotiate."

"Since we can't negotiate, let's not. Let's go straight to Court and let them decide."

With that, Zhou Yun pulled Wang Shenggang and walked out.

The mediator was also very helpless and wanted to say something, but Zhou Yun and Wang Shenggang had already left.

Zeng Xiaolu's face turned black with anger. She had originally wanted to do as before, first slap him, then give him a sweet date, just to make him withdraw the lawsuit.

But she never expected there to be such a lawyer!

Her best friend beside her asked, "Xiaolu, what do we do now?"

Zeng Xiaolu said, "I'll go find Wang Shenggang directly after this. I can see now that it must all be this lawyer's doing. Otherwise, Wang Shenggang would never have sued."

The first mediation session yielded no results, which was expected.

On the other side, Zhou Yun and Wang Shenggang had already left the Court.

"How do you feel now?"

Wang Shenggang's eyes were filled with confusion, "Lawyer Zhou, I... I'm very confused."

His girlfriend, with whom he had been dating for a year and was about to marry, actually... actually turned out exactly as Lawyer Zhou had predicted.

And the key was that Lawyer Zhou said this was pure PUA, the kind without any impurities.

Zhou Yun smiled and said, "Then don't overthink it. The other party will definitely contact you in various ways later, even come to your door. So I suggest you go out and play for a couple of days and come back for the Court session."

"Yes, it's just that I don't trust you. When that girl comes to your house and gives you a little sweetness, you'll definitely pour your heart out, so it's better not to meet."

Hearing Zhou Yun's words, Wang Shenggang gave a wry smile. This Lawyer Zhou could truly see right through him.

Finally, Wang Shenggang decided to go out for a few days to clear his mind.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yun was waiting for the investigation order.

Time slowly passed, and after a few more days, Zeng Xiaolu was already fuming with anger.

She had exhausted all her efforts, calling from other people's phones, and even going to his door, but she couldn't find Wang Shenggang.

She used to often disappear on Wang Shenggang, like getting angry and directly blocking all contact methods, then not meeting him.

But she never expected the boomerang to come back now, with him directly disappearing on her.

Zeng Xiaolu had no choice but to frantically search for Wang Shenggang through friends.

Because she had consulted with a lawyer, and for someone like her, if the case went to Court, there was a high probability that she would be ordered to return the money.

In this atmosphere, Zhou Yun had already obtained Zeng Xiaolu's personal information through the Public Security Bureau.

"What? Married?"

At the household registration section of the police station, the inquiry staff nodded and said, "Yes, married. Is there a problem, Lawyer Zhou?"

Zhou Yun shook his head, indicating no, and left the household registration section with the relevant materials. Then he took out all the chat records, transfer records, and other things he had prepared earlier from his satchel.

He never expected Zeng Xiaolu to be married.

In other words, during her relationship with Wang Shenggang, her marriage was still ongoing!

No wonder. She would disappear for a while, and Wang Shenggang could never find her. It looks like she went home.

Yet, during the previous mediation, she managed to turn the tables and act so righteously. Zhou Yun truly admired her.

There are too many tricks nowadays, aren't there?

Poor Wang Shenggang was completely played.

After thinking about it, Zhou Yun did not tell Wang Shenggang.

Still, the same old saying: he didn't think Wang Shenggang had truly moved on yet.

Just as Mr. Zhou was free recently, he decided to put on a grand show for Writer Wang!

If someone is married and still dates others, demanding property, some might say, "Isn't that fraud? Just report it to the Public Security Bureau!"

However, those who frequently report cases know that if you report such a situation solely based on the other party being married, there's a 100% chance the police station won't get involved. They'll say it's civil fraud and tell you to sue.

You can really look into it; this is precisely the situation.

Many cases involving both criminal and civil elements are very complex, even for professionals to distinguish. So, in such situations, some places will adopt a "less trouble is better than more trouble" mindset and simply not get involved.

Moreover, there are indeed cases where this has been deemed civil fraud, making it highly probable!

When is it definitely fraud? For example, if a woman, while married, simultaneously dates two or more men and demands property from all of them with the intention of marriage.

That is definitely fraud.

Why would the former be civil fraud? Because there's a reason: the woman can claim her relationship broke down, so she planned to divorce and then remarry.

But with two boyfriends, she can't say that.

Zhou Yun is just a lawyer; he has no investigative power and cannot investigate Zeng Xiaolu's other circumstances.

So, how can the Public Security Bureau be prompted to initiate an investigation? There's one way: the Court can transfer the relevant case!

Many fraud cases in reality come about this way.

You report it, the police station doesn't get involved and tells you to sue. After you sue, the Court discovers during the trial that it involves fraud, and then transfers it.

Cases transferred by the Court must be reviewed by the Public Security Bureau!

Zhou Yun returned to the law firm and began to prepare meticulously.

Time slowly passed, and the Yangshan District Court formally accepted the case according to normal procedures.

And so, the day of the trial finally arrived.

Wang Shenggang had returned from out of town, a bit tanned, but looking much more energetic.

The two met at the Court entrance and then proceeded to the courtroom.

Upon entering, they found that Zeng Xiaolu had already arrived and was sitting in the defendant's seat with a lawyer beside her.

Zeng Xiaolu had no choice; she certainly couldn't return the money. She had initially thought about using PUA tactics, but the other party wouldn't even meet her.

So, she had no choice but to hire a lawyer.

At this moment, her lawyer comforted her, saying, "Don't worry too much. There are several large sums of money given as gifts here that aren't purely conditional gifts, so we have a good fight ahead of us."

Hearing her lawyer's words, Zeng Xiaolu felt a little relieved. As long as she didn't have to return all the money, it would be fine.

Wang Shenggang also saw Zeng Xiaolu. He didn't know why things had progressed to this point, but he could only take it one step at a time.

Soon, the trial began, and the lawyer hired by Zeng Xiaolu started to perform.

The core dispute of this case was whether the previous gifts were conditional gifts.

In other words, what Zhou Yun called "gifts for the purpose of marriage."

Zeng Xiaolu's lawyer, on the other hand, argued separately for each of the large transfers and gifts. He wanted to prove that these transfers were "not gifts for the purpose of marriage."

"This 20,000 yuan transfer was not a gift for the purpose of marriage. At that time, my client's family member was sick and hospitalized. In such a situation, the plaintiff voluntarily transferred 20,000 yuan, which should be considered a general gift."

"This can be proven by the chat records between the two parties."

At this point, Zeng Xiaolu's lawyer even felt that the opposing lawyer was too incompetent.

Both sides should have these chat records, yet the opposing lawyer didn't submit them at all. It seemed he knew this reason was insufficient.

Wang Shenggang was very displeased and wanted to say something, but Zhou Yun pulled him back.

Across the room, Zeng Xiaolu's lawyer continued, "And this phone, it's the same nature. At that time, my client said her phone was broken, and the other party voluntarily transferred money, saying to buy a phone."

"This should also be considered a general gift, not a conditional gift. Once the gift is completed, it cannot be returned."

Hearing this, Zhou Yun smiled. This is exactly what he was waiting for!

"Presiding Judge, I request to question the defendant."

The Presiding Judge above nodded, "Permission granted."

Zhou Yun then looked at Zeng Xiaolu, "So, Defendant, your meaning is that these gifts were all general gifts made by our client based on a romantic relationship, and absolutely could not have been gifts for the purpose of marriage, right?"

Zeng Xiaolu replied without any hesitation, "Yes, they were not gifts for the purpose of marriage."

Zhou Yun nodded, "Presiding Judge, my questioning is complete."

"However, now, I request to present new evidence. This evidence has a significant bearing on the facts of the case."

That's right, Mr. Zhou also used an evidence ambush. This might lead to a warning or fine from the Court, but it didn't matter.

As long as the criminal procedure could be initiated, those monies would be returned in the form of "restitution," and the civil case would no longer need to continue.

The Presiding Judge frowned upon hearing this but still agreed.

However, he issued a reminder: if the evidence was not significant, a penalty might be imposed.

Zhou Yun took out a document: "This was obtained through an investigation order previously applied for. The defendant, Zeng Xiaolu, is married."

What? Hearing this, not only was Wang Shenggang stunned, but Zeng Xiaolu's lawyer opposite him was also stunned.

Zeng Xiaolu was actually married?

The female lawyer quickly looked at Zeng Xiaolu, whose face was very flustered, not knowing what to say.

She really didn't expect the other party to be able to find out that she was already married!

Wang Shenggang felt even worse. He had been dating this girlfriend for so long, and he... he had never touched her. Every time he wanted to, she would say she wanted to save the best for marriage.

But now, she was already married?

Zhou Yun continued to output: "This is the second piece of evidence, the defendant's record on a certain platform. It can be seen that during the time she said her family member was seriously ill and she had to accompany them in the hospital, she was actually traveling."

"Therefore, Presiding Judge, the woman concealed her married status, used the romantic relationship, and fabricated facts to defraud our client of money, which already constitutes the crime of fraud!"

As his words fell, it was like a bolt from the blue striking Zeng Xiaolu's head.

She stood up and shouted, "I didn't! I'm not defrauding! I... that was all voluntary on his part!"

Zhou Yun stopped speaking. Voluntary? Would someone voluntarily give you money for no reason?

Now, the situation was very clear.

"Writer Wang, I have good news. We don't need to fight this lawsuit anymore. Just wait for the Public Security Bureau to return the stolen goods."

"At that time, the other party might beg for your forgiveness. It will be a tiny bit different from your previous demands, but it should be fine."

Wang Shenggang: "..."

This is called a tiny bit different? I think I just wanted to see her at first, but now, I'm going to send her to jail?

Why was it necessary to confirm that this money was not a gift for the purpose of marriage? It's simple.

If it were a gift for the purpose of marriage, then it would be the reason mentioned earlier, which might lead the Presiding Judge to consider it civil fraud.

And for this reason, Zhou Yun didn't even bring out those chat records. Instead, the other party brought them out as evidence to deny it.

But now, the other party themselves presented evidence proving that this was not a gift for the purpose of marriage, so there was no problem.

Your family member is seriously ill, and you say you're accompanying them in the hospital, but photos on your other platform accounts show you having a great time at the beach. So, tell me, was your family member sick or not?

Are you fabricating facts and then using love as an excuse to obtain property?

The core of fraud is "deception"!

Therefore, rounding it up, the other party themselves presented evidence to exclude all other factors, leaving only fraud!

The Presiding Judge was equally stunned. He had originally intended to scold this lawyer thoroughly later for ambushing with evidence in his Court.

But now, it was actually fraud?

And he had also watched from beginning to end. He and the Clerk could both testify that the other party had personally denied it just now, and there was a transcript of the trial.

This lawyer... was a bit too brilliant!

His strategy was a series of interconnected traps, directly exploiting the other party's psychological weaknesses. It could be said to be a double-edged sword!

Because if they didn't deny it, they would definitely lose the lawsuit, so a normal person would certainly deny it and try every means to prove that it wasn't a conditional gift.

But as long as you deny it, you fall into the other party's trap.

Finally, the Presiding Judge spoke, "Court adjourned!"

Zeng Xiaolu kept saying, "I'm not, I just used that as an excuse to get some money from him. I didn't defraud anyone. What are you doing? Don't touch me!"

As she spoke, she tried to leave, but Court police officers had already entered.

"Who told you to touch me? I'm going to report you! Ah, ah, ah..."

However, no matter how much she screamed, it was useless. A strong female Court police officer directly stepped forward and restrained her, her hands gripping Zeng Xiaolu's wrists like pliers.

"We have already notified the Public Security Bureau. Please cooperate with our work!"

Hearing this, Zeng Xiaolu looked at Wang Shenggang, but before she could say anything, Wang Shenggang immediately turned his head away.

Suddenly, a hint of despair appeared on Zeng Xiaolu's face...