Surrender, Lawyer, and

The Shareholders Meeting had ended, and it was past lunchtime. Just as Lin Qi was about to go out to get something to eat, Neil appeared in front of him with Tom.

Neil ultimately decided to give Tom a hand. After all, their relationship of thirty or forty years couldn't be completely ruined by this little thing; otherwise, their feelings and time would be too cheap.

Just as he stepped out of the office, Lin Qi went back in, sat down behind his desk, looked at the two men, and tilted his head slightly. "So, what do you want?"

Tom somewhat bewildered, and it was clear that something terrible was happening to him.

He knew Lin Qi; he and Neil had been good friends for decades. They were very familiar with each other's families. From Lin Qi's birth until he graduated from high school, Tom would see him once or twice a month, or two or three times a month, when he went to see Neil.

At first, he didn't connect the idea that the owner of the Interstellar Trade Company was Neil's son. After all, there are many people in the world named Lin Qi. Just like his name Tom, you can easily find other people with the same name, as well as some cats and dogs.

Moreover, as a member of the lower class of society, he lacks the channels and resources to gain a more familiar understanding of the composition of the Upper Class of society. This is similar to how most people do not know which companies in their city are among the top ten taxpayers, or who their bosses are.

People don't care about these things. They care more about how the TV series will play out tonight, and about things related to their work, rather than these intangible things.

Until this moment, he didn't believe that Neil's son could do such a big thing, but the facts were clearly beyond his comprehension, and he found it hard to accept.

Neil appeared remarkably calm, or perhaps he was simply too shocked to react. Of course, his attitude towards Lin Qi had subtly changed; at least in the past, he wouldn't have spoken to Lin Qi so "calmly" at home.

At that time, he was the head of the family, and his tone was always commanding, leaving no room for anyone to refuse.

"Tom's in some trouble. They stole raw materials from the factory to produce a batch of goods, most of which ended up in your hands. We mean, could you return the goods to him and let him try to get out of this mess?" To persuade Lin Qi, Neil added very specifically, "Only his share; the others are not within our consideration."

Neil quickly explained his and Tom's purpose, but Lin Qi shook his head after listening, "This is not easy, no, this is impossible!"

Seeing Tom gradually coming to his senses and Neil looking puzzled, Lin Qi explained, "Even if you take those things back now, it won't change the current situation. Just hearing what you said makes me understand."

"No matter how much money you make from selling these items, it has nothing to do with your boss, and don't worry about whether these items can be sold in his hands or not, that has nothing to do with you."

"In other words, if you want to solve these problems, you must raise that money; otherwise..."

Lin Qi had already anticipated the outcome. If these people couldn't raise the money, the court would enforce the judgment, and the bank would auction off their assets, including their cars, and if they still had them, their houses.

This made Lin Qi suddenly realize that he and the bank could do another deal. These were all high-quality resources, and more importantly, their prices would be very low.

In this kind of commissioned auction, the bank doesn't care how much these items sell for; they just want to finish the job as quickly as possible and get a service fee. As long as the bank is satisfied, these items can be bought at the price of scrap after being packaged together.

Then, at the auction the following week, they can be resold for several times the profit.

Thinking about this, Lin Qi was even less likely to help these people, and besides, he wasn't familiar with this Uncle Tom.

He did have such a person in his memory, but that was all; there was no further interaction between them, except for the few times he had hit him on the head as a child to humiliate him.

Whatever his reasons, he had no intention of helping Tom. He stood up and said, "I'm sorry, Uncle Tom, there's nothing I can do about this..." He paused, "Would you like to have lunch together? I know a restaurant that has some good veal steaks."

Neil still felt a pang of pity. "Is there really no other way?"

Lin Qi shook his head. "If it's just a small matter of three or five thousand, or thirty or fifty thousand, I can help you. But I can't offer Uncle Tom any more help with this kind of thing."

"He contributed his share, but the total amount was not enough. They still have to face legal judgment and processing, so no one can help with this matter."

He hesitated for a few seconds, a hesitation that was immediately noticed by Neil and Tom. The two did not dare to disrupt Lin Qi's train of thought, but simply watched him expectantly from the side.

After about half a minute, Lin Qi's expression became more serious. "Actually, it's not entirely impossible, but we can talk about it during lunch. I've been in meetings all morning..."

The two dared not refuse Lin Qi, and under Lin Qi guidance, they were taken to a recently reopened restaurant not far away.

During the Tidal Wave of strikes, restaurants were also severely affected, but the extent of their damage differed from that of other businesses. Restaurants were primarily affected by the theft of most of their ingredients, but that was about it.

These losses are not actually significant for restaurant owners; they can simply buy a new batch of ingredients and reopen.

After the three sat down, they looked around. The restaurant was empty except for their table. With the two looking at them expectantly, Lin Qi revealed the only solution.

"If you can win your boss's forgiveness and the judge's sympathy, then the problem becomes much simpler," Lin Qi said casually, unfolding his napkin. "You need to explain the cause, process, and result of the incident, who initiated it, who organized it, who specifically committed which crimes, how you disposed of the stolen goods, who oversaw the distribution of the proceeds, and your repentance, Uncle Tom."

"Our laws are not very tolerant of criminals, but they are also willing to help those who repent. If you can do these things, you may only end up with a community service sentence."

Lin Qi emphasized the core point. "As long as it's not a criminal penalty, it won't leave a stain on your personal file, nor will it become an obstacle for you to find a job in the future."

Tom's expression was pained and struggling. He licked his dry lips, his voice hoarse, "Are you... asking me to betray them?"

"Betrayal?" Lin Qi raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think it's a betrayal? Actually, you're helping them recognize their mistakes and setting an example to guide them to confess their crimes."

"But I have to tell you, the judge only sympathizes with the first person to do it!"

After saying this, he paused slightly. "From what you've said, it's not hard for me to see that everything stems from that guy named Hick. How is he now?"

Tom's face darkened further. "He's been released on bail..."

Lin Qi gave a "I knew it" look. "In my opinion, I might even think this is a charade put on by Hick and your boss, with the goal of getting those fines."

"More than three million is enough for him to pay off some of his debts and get through this financial crisis!"

Lin Qi's words were like an arrow piercing Tom's heart, because it was indeed possible, or rather, Lin Qi was too good at "persuading" others.

Before long, the dishes they ordered began to be served, and the topic of conversation came to an end.

Tom was still considering the advice Lin Qi had given him, while Lin Qi and Neil were talking about Neil's job.

Some people enjoyed their meal immensely, while others, faced with their most desired food, didn't even bother to pick up their knife and fork, simply sitting there blankly.

After dinner Lin Qi returned to the company to continue dealing with some backlogged matters, while Neil and Tom went to the Police Station to turn themselves in.

Tom made this decision at the end of lunch, choosing between himself and others. It's not a shameful choice, because 99% of people would make the same decision.

However, this matter did not pass so easily. In the afternoon, thanks to Tom's surrender, the case made a breakthrough, and the Police Station obtained the specific list and some more crucial information.

Seeing his former friend now a prisoner, Neil was still very emotional.

If he hadn't held firm to his principles that day, he might be the one locked in that iron cage right now! After comforting Tom for a few moments, Neil left the Police Station. He knew, and could sense, that his decades-long relationship with Tom had come to an end today.

The two men embarked on two completely different paths, which left Neil was not highly educated, deeply moved.

In fact, the aftermath of the incident was much more troublesome than Neil had imagined. Soon after, court bailiffs found Lin Qi.

The bailiffs told Lin Qi that the items he had acquired were stolen goods and would be temporarily seized. Lin Qi said he needed to consult a lawyer before he could give the court a reply.

This is a very official and common answer: most wealthy people can afford lawyers, who will use their professional knowledge to help these millionaires avoid all sorts of problems.

This is the value of wealth and how to prove it.

Not long after the bailiffs left, a lawyer came to Lin Qi's office.

"Mr. Lin Qi, I must inform you before we begin our conversation that even if we do not reach any agreement, you will still be responsible for the costs incurred during our communication, as well as my travel and communication expenses incurred. Is that alright?"