Lin Wanyi was wearing a high-end formal dress, with delicate makeup and a queen-like temperament. She was accompanied by several interviewers. Her eyes were calm and sharp, as if she could see through all disguises. The moment Su Yao stepped into the room, she looked at her calmly. Lin Wanyi raised her hand slightly, and her white and slender fingers drew an elegant arc in the air, motioning Su Yao to sit down. Her voice was calm but with unquestionable majesty: “Ms. Su Yao, please introduce yourself briefly first.”

Su Yao sat down gently, and the friction between the chair and the ground made a slight “creaking” sound, which was particularly clear in this quiet room where you could hear a pin drop. She swallowed slightly, her Adam’s apple rolled gently, moistening her somewhat dry throat, and began to say: “Hello, interviewers, my name is Su Yao, and I graduated from the Law School of XX University. During my time at school, I participated in moot court competitions many times.” At this point, a glimmer flashed in her eyes, as if she was immersed in the glory of the past. “Every time I stood in the moot court, I was fully committed, debated fiercely with my teammates, and carefully analyzed every case detail, which also achieved excellent results. At the same time, I also assisted my tutor in handling some legal practice cases, from sorting out materials to participating in case discussions, and accumulated certain experience little by little.” Her voice was a little trembling at first, like the tremolo of a worn-out string, but as the introduction deepened, it gradually stabilized, and there was a hint of past confidence in her eyes, and her sitting posture unconsciously straightened a little. “However, after graduation, my life encountered some changes. The failure of my marriage put me in trouble, and I left the legal industry for a few years. But I never gave up my love and study of law,” she clenched her fists slightly to show her determination, “I believe I still have the ability to return and contribute value to the law firm.” At this point, she straightened her spine slightly, looked at Lin Wanyi firmly, with a hint of expectation and stubbornness in her eyes.

Lin Wanyi nodded slightly, the delicate hair accessories on her head swayed gently with the movement, and a hint of imperceptible recognition flashed in her eyes, but she continued to ask expressionlessly: “Ms. Su Yao, how much do you know about the main business areas currently involved in our law firm?” Su Yao’s heart tightened, and the hands on the sides of her legs unconsciously grasped the corners of her clothes. She was well aware of her shortcomings in this area, but still answered with a stiff upper lip: “I know that Dingxin Law Firm has outstanding achievements and rich experience in commercial litigation, intellectual property rights and other fields. Although I may not be clear about some details, I am confident that I can quickly master them through study and practice.” There was a hint of nervousness in her eyes, but she tried to stay calm.

At this time, a male interviewer next to him pushed his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses were scrutinizing, he leaned forward slightly, and crossed his hands on the table: “Ms. Su Yao, you have been away from the legal industry for many years. How can you ensure that you can quickly adapt to the high-intensity work rhythm and complex case handling? The requirements of our law firm have always been very high.” Su Yao took a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly, her hands unconsciously clenched under the table, her knuckles turned white due to the force, and she replied: “I understand the high standards of the law firm. In the past days when I was struggling for a living, I faced various pressures and challenges every day. I had to do several odd jobs every day. In the intervals between busy work, I would use the fragmented time to learn new knowledge, even if it was only a few minutes. I learned how to arrange time efficiently in difficult situations and how to quickly learn new knowledge. I believe that these experiences will enable me to better adapt to the work intensity of the law firm, and I am willing to work harder than others to catch up and improve myself.” She looked directly into the interviewer’s eyes with determination and persistence.

Lin Wanyi exchanged glances with the other interviewers. After a brief silence, she spoke again: “Ms. Su Yao, let’s assume a case. A company is facing allegations of intellectual property infringement and is maliciously defamed by its competitors. How would you handle this case?” Su Yao pondered for a moment, frowned slightly, focused her eyes, and quickly sorted out her thoughts in her mind, then slowly said: “First, I will conduct a detailed investigation and analysis of the allegations of intellectual property infringement, including the specific scope of infringement, the collection and organization of evidence. I will personally visit the relevant markets and companies to check the circulation of infringing products, and assess the severity of the infringement and possible legal liabilities. For the commercial defamation part, it is necessary to collect evidence of the competitor’s defamation in a timely manner, such as relevant remarks, promotional materials, etc., and determine from a legal perspective whether it constitutes unfair competition. Then, formulate corresponding response strategies based on the investigation results, which may include negotiating a settlement with the other party, filing a counterclaim, or safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the company through legal channels. At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to the company’s reputation repair and image maintenance work, such as issuing statements and conducting public relations activities. I will actively cooperate with the company’s public relations team to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of information transmission.”

After Su Yao finished answering, the room fell into a brief silence. Lin Wanyi’s eyes were more thoughtful. She looked at Su Yao, as if she was re-evaluating the slightly haggard but tough woman in front of her. Su Yao sat there, feeling uneasy, with her hands folded on her abdomen, her fingers stirring restlessly, waiting for the final judgment of the interviewers. She knew that this interview was a key battle for her fate. No matter what the result was, she had tried her best.

Lin Wanyi smiled and stretched out her hand. Her smile was as warm as the spring sun. She said, “Welcome to Dingxin.” Su Yao was stunned at first, her eyes widened instantly, and then her eyes burst into incredible surprise and excitement. She stood up quickly, her movements were a little hasty, and she held Lin Wanyi’s hand with trembling hands. Her fingers, slightly red from the force, clasped the other’s hand tightly, and her voice was choked with sobs: “Thank you, thank you so much, I will never let you down!”

Several interviewers on the side also smiled gently and nodded. Su Yao felt as if she had stepped from the abyss of darkness into the palace of light, and the haze that had shrouded her heart for a long time had dissipated for the most part.

When Jiang Tingyan heard the news, a big stone fell from his heart. He rushed to the law firm after get off work, with a gratified smile on his face, and strode towards Su Yao and said to her: “I knew you could do it.” Su Yao looked at Jiang Tingyan, her eyes full of gratitude, and her eyes were slightly moist: “If you hadn’t given me this opportunity, I really don’t know what to do.”

In the days that followed, Su Yao devoted herself to her work with amazing perseverance. She came to the law firm early every day, and took advantage of the time before work to catch up on her professional knowledge. She sat at her desk, concentrating on reading a large number of legal provisions and case files, and kept recording the key points in her notebook with a pen in her hand. When handling cases, although she was a little unfamiliar at the beginning, she gradually regained her professional style with her solid legal foundation and her attitude of actively asking colleagues for advice. She would take the initiative to find experienced colleagues, humbly ask questions, look at the other party attentively, and listen carefully to every suggestion.

Lin Wanyi also secretly followed Su Yao. She found that Su Yao was not only hardworking, but also quick-witted and had unique insights into some complex cases. She began to give some important but not urgent cases to Su Yao to handle independently to train her ability. Su Yao always completed the task excellently and submitted a satisfactory answer to both the client and the law firm. When handling a case, she would carefully analyze each piece of evidence, confidently debate in court, and clearly explain her views.

As time went by, Su Yao gained a firm foothold in Dingxin Law Firm, her income gradually increased, and her living conditions improved greatly. She moved from the old community in the east of the city to a comfortable apartment closer to the law firm, where her children could go to better schools and the elderly were better taken care of. When she took her children and the elderly to visit the new apartment, her face was filled with a happy smile, and the children ran around excitedly in the spacious and bright room. Jiang Tingyan was delighted to see the changes in Su Yao. His relationship with Lin Wanyi also deepened because of this joint help to Su Yao. They would take walks together in their spare time, arm in arm and enjoy the quiet time. Their family was still happy, and Jiang Tingyan cherished this hard-earned life even more. Su Yao also often brought her children to Jiang Tingyan’s home as a guest. The two families sat together and chatted happily, with laughter echoing in the room, as if all the suffering had become a thing of the past, and what greeted them was a future full of hope and sunshine.

The sun was shining brightly today, and Jiang Tingyan drove happily on the street. The trees on both sides of the street were lush and green, and the luxuriant branches and leaves swayed gently in the breeze, as if dancing happily. The sun shone through the gaps in the leaves, forming golden spots, like broken gold covering the road. Pedestrians came and went, some in a hurry, with rapid steps, as if they were rushing to an important date; some were leisurely and contented, walking slowly, enjoying this beautiful time.

Suddenly, a figure rushed out from the roadside. Jiang Tingyan didn’t have time to think about it and instinctively stepped on the brakes. After the car stopped, his heart was beating wildly, as if it was about to jump out of his throat. He saw a middle-aged man lying in front of the car, groaning in pain. Jiang Tingyan was shocked and said to himself that it was not good. He might have encountered a scammer. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. Then he quickly unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car to check the situation.

After Jiang Tingyan got off the car, he quickly scanned the surroundings. At this time, they were at the corner of a busy street. Behind them was a bustling supermarket. People were coming and going at the door. The sound of shopping carts colliding and people talking were intertwined. Opposite was a small park, where elderly people were leisurely practicing Tai Chi, each move was slow and steady. Children were playing and laughing on the lawn, chasing each other, and laughter could be heard from time to time. There were already several passers-by around the accident scene, with expressions of curiosity and concern on their faces, whispering.

Jiang Tingyan slowly approached the middle-aged man lying on the ground, his eyes were always calm and sharp, like an eagle eye that could see through everything, trying to find flaws in the man’s performance. He squatted down, his movements were light and steady, and he said in a steady voice: “Brother, don’t get excited, I will definitely take responsibility, but we have to figure out the situation first.” The man was still crying and waving his hands. Jiang Tingyan frowned slightly and continued patiently: “Look, there are surveillance cameras all around.” He raised his head and pointed in several directions nearby, “and my car is also equipped with a driving recorder, the truth of the matter can definitely be found out. If you are really injured, it is best for us to wait for professional doctors and police to deal with it.”

When the man heard Jiang Tingyan mention surveillance and dashcams, he paused for a moment, but then raised his voice again: “Don’t scare me with these things. My legs can’t move now. You hit me!” Jiang Tingyan was not angered by the man’s unreasonable behavior. He stood up with an upright posture, took out his mobile phone, swiped his fingers skillfully on the screen to call the police, and said calmly: “Take a rest first, the police will be here soon, and they will handle it fairly.”

While waiting, the man kept trying to disturb Jiang Tingyan with words. Sometimes he cried and said how difficult his family was. His body twisted and his face was full of sorrow. Sometimes he said in a sour tone that Jiang Tingyan looked like a rich man and this amount of compensation was nothing to him. Jiang Tingyan remained unmoved and just stood quietly by the side, occasionally responding: “Let’s talk about everything after the police come.” The onlookers also began to talk about it. An old lady shook her head and said: “It’s hard to say. This man looks pitiful, but the young man driving the car doesn’t look like a bad person.” A young man curled his lips and folded his hands in front of his chest: “I think there is something wrong with this old man. How can he shout so vigorously after being hit.”

When the police and emergency personnel arrived, the man spoke first, vividly describing how Jiang Tingyan drove at high speed and knocked him down. He gestured exaggeratedly in the air with his hands, and his expression was very excited. Jiang Tingyan nodded politely to the police, then took out his mobile phone calmly, which reflected the metallic luster in the sun. He called up the video of the driving recorder and said, “Comrade police, this is the record at that time, please check it.”

When the police took the phone to check the video, Jiang Tingyan stared at the screen intently. He pointed at the moment when the man rushed out in the video, and explained in detail with his slender and powerful fingers: “You see, I was driving normally here, and the speed was steady and moderate. He suddenly rushed out from the roadside without any warning, and his movements were very deliberate. The angle of his body leaning forward and the running posture were obviously not in line with normal accidents. It was obviously a deliberate attempt to hit the car.” After watching the video, the man’s face turned pale in an instant, as if all the blood had been drained away. He wanted to quibble but didn’t know where to start. He could only lower his head obediently like a defeated rooster under the stern gaze of the police. (End of this chapter)