The Moneylender and the Matchmaker
Early in the morning, before the sunlight had completely dispelled the chill of the night, Lin Feng woke up in the guest room of Lawyer Zhou's house. He didn't get up immediately, but instead first immersed his consciousness in the system space and completed his daily routine of summoning.
"Call."
A cold, mechanical voice announced, "Ding! Summoning successful! Acquired assassin: Li Jun."
Information floods into my mind:
Name: Li Jun
Identity: Owner of a microfinance company
Status: Formerly imprisoned for intentional assault; ruthless and brutal in nature; skilled in debt collection techniques.
Activity area: This city and surrounding areas
Abilities: Violent debt collection, underground banking operations, complex social connections. Loyalty: 100%.
A loan shark? And a former convict. Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. This identity was rather interesting; it might come in handy in some shady areas. He didn't immediately give Li Jun any instructions, but simply told him to wait and integrate into his current identity and life.
Lin Feng got up, washed up, and went out. After having a simple breakfast at a roadside stall, he took the subway to his law firm.
As he entered the law firm's office area, he was surprised to find that the portly lawyer Lawyer Chen, had arrived exceptionally early. Upon seeing Lin Feng, Lawyer Chen immediately plastered a near-fawning smile on his face and warmly greeted him.
"Assistant Lin, good morning! Have you had breakfast? I bought an extra one, it's still warm!" He was carrying a nice-looking Hong Kong-style dim sum meal box.
Lin Feng glanced at him expressionlessly, waved his hand, and without even saying a word, walked past him to his workstation, took off his coat, and hung it up.
Lawyer Chen's smile froze for a moment, but he dared not show any dissatisfaction. He awkwardly picked up his lunchbox and returned to his seat, his breakfast suddenly feeling utterly tasteless.
Lin Feng ignored him, picked up a rag, and together with several other intern lawyers and assistants who had arrived early, began cleaning the office area.
After that incident, everyone knew that this high school graduate assistant had a remarkable background. Even Lawyer Chen had been humiliated, so no one dared to underestimate him anymore; in fact, they all felt a sense of awe. Nothing particularly eventful happened that morning. Lawyer Zhou seemed to be in a meeting outside, so Lin Feng spent his time reviewing some past case files to familiarize himself with the law firm's procedures and business.
Around 2 PM, Zhou Wenyuan returned to the law firm. He had barely sat down when the receptionist led in a guest.
This was a rural woman who looked to be around forty or fifty years old. She was wearing a slightly worn floral shirt, black polyester trousers, and cloth shoes that were covered in mud.
Her hair was somewhat dry, hastily tied into a bun at the back of her head, her face was covered with wrinkles from wind and sun, and her eyes were filled with unease, anxiety, and a hint of barely concealed fear. She clutched a faded canvas bag tightly in her hand, her knuckles white from the force.
"Lawyer Zhou, this Ms. Wang would like to consult about something," the receptionist said softly before leaving.
Zhou Wenyuan stood up, a professional and gentle smile on his face, and gestured to the client's chair opposite the desk. "Ms. Wang, is that right? Please have a seat."
Seeing Lawyer Zhou stand up, the woman became even more nervous, waving her hands repeatedly and mumbling, "No need, no need, I'll stay standing, I'll stay standing..."
"Sit down, it's alright, sit down and we can talk slowly." Zhou Wenyuan's tone softened, carrying a reassuring quality.
The woman hesitated for a moment, her eyes quickly sweeping over the clean and comfortable-looking chair, then glancing at her mud-stained trousers, before finally cautiously stepping forward.
She didn't sit completely down, only using half of her bottom to carefully rest against the edge of the chair, her back ramrod straight, as if ready to spring up at any moment. She clutched the canvas bag even tighter to her chest, as if holding onto some lifeline.
Zhou Wenyuan was clearly very experienced in this situation. He didn't immediately get to the point. Instead, he poured her a glass of warm water and placed it on the coffee table in front of her. Then he chatted with her for a few minutes, asking where she was from, how she got there, and if her journey was smooth.
The woman was initially a little reserved, answering questions only in a low voice. But under Lawyer Zhou's gentle guidance, she gradually relaxed and became more talkative.
Lin Feng, as the assistant, sat quietly to the side, taking out his notebook to take notes.
Seeing that the time was right, Zhou Wenyuan naturally steered the conversation to the main topic. "Ms. Wang, what matter did you come here today to consult about?"
When the subject was brought up, the woman's eyes dimmed instantly. She rubbed her rough fingers, sighed, and began to speak, her pace gradually quickening, her voice thick with a local accent and an indescribable sense of grievance:
"Lawyer Zhou, I'm here about my sister. My sister... she's a well-known matchmaker in our area, a really good person, always helpful. Whenever a boy or girl reaches a certain age, everyone likes to ask her for advice."
She paused, seemingly organizing her thoughts, a look of indignation on her sister's face. "In this matchmaking business, you encounter all sorts of people. Some families... their daughters might not be very bright, a little... simple-minded. But they're all brought here by their parents, begging my sister to find them a husband, so they'll have someone to rely on, and their own families will be one less burden. My sister is soft-hearted; seeing how pitiful the parents are, she helps them arrange things."
"There was one family where the daughter was a little mentally challenged, so my sister introduced her to a young man. His family was relatively well-off, but... the young man himself wasn't quite right in the head; he was somewhat intellectually disabled." The woman's voice trembled with difficulty as she continued, "We thought we were all just unfortunate people, so we'd make do. Who would have thought... who would have thought..."
Her voice choked with sobs, and she sniffed hard before continuing, "What young couple doesn't have their ups and downs? I don't know why, but they started arguing that day, and that young man, without thinking, beat... beat that girl... to death!"
As the woman finished speaking, her eyes reddened, and she vigorously wiped them with the back of her hand.
"This is a huge problem! It's a matter of life and death! The police came and arrested the young man. But somehow, after investigating, they arrested my sister too!"
They're saying my sister is... a human trafficker! She's even been sentenced in court! Lawyer Zhou, my sister is innocent! She was just trying to help someone find a match, how did that become human trafficking?
Those girls all came to our door themselves, and my sister didn't take a single penny of bribes! She only accepted a small dowry; that's the custom around here!
She became more and more agitated as she spoke, leaning slightly forward, her calloused hands unconsciously patting her knees, as if trying to bring out her sister's grievances. Her bottom was almost off the chair, her whole being immersed in defending her sister.
Zhou Wenyuan listened quietly, his expression calm and composed. He showed neither surprise nor sympathy, only occasionally nodding slightly at key points to indicate that he was listening.
Only after the woman had finished recounting the whole story, calmed down a bit, and sat up properly (still only on one buttock), did Zhou Wenyuan pick up his teacup, take a small sip, then put the cup down. He calmly looked at the rural woman opposite him who had come to seek justice for her sister, and asked in his characteristically steady and clear tone:
"I understand the general situation. So, Ms. Wang, what are your own thoughts?"