Lady of Law Episode 31 Recap
> Lady of Law Recap
Li Gongming, the founder of Mingtang, was filled with unease as he considered a merger to save the firm he had built. He reflected that while his pen had helped countless clients make decisions, making his own choices was always daunting. Meanwhile, during a meeting with Qingmu Law Firm, Li Gongming emphasized the sincerity of both parties in pursuing the partnership, highlighting the mutual benefits and expressing hope for a quick and smooth agreement.
However, Tang Ying vehemently opposed Li Gongming's decision to consider a merger with Qingmu. She challenged his confidence, pointing out that if Chengtai’s previous attempt at a hostile takeover had succeeded, Mingtang would have been sold off cheaply. Tang Ying expressed concern that Qingmu could be another Chengtai, emphasizing that no acquirer is truly an angel and would not offer unconditional support.
Li Gongming clarified that Qingmu, unlike Chengtai, prioritized strategic planning and aimed to expand its legal presence in Jinghai without hostile tactics, thus valuing Mingtang's worth. He considered them a "white knight" and assured her he would carefully review their terms. Tang Ying, however, insisted that as a senior partner, she had decision-making authority and that all partners' consensus was necessary for such a crucial matter concerning Mingtang's future, rather than his unilateral consideration.
She firmly stated her opposition to the Qingmu deal, refusing to let him undermine Mingtang again. Following this heated exchange, Tang Ying summoned Bai Ning and expressed her strong support for Bai Ning's candidacy for senior partner. She explained that Chen Wenguang's past actions had damaged the firm, turning Chen Ran's perceived advantages into a double-edged sword. Tang Ying believed Mingtang needed a younger, more dynamic leader to navigate its current difficulties and saw Bai Ning as the ideal candidate.
She assured Bai Ning that the selection process would involve anonymous voting by all lawyers and nominal partners to ensure fairness, which she hoped would alleviate Bai Ning's concerns about Chen Ran having Director Li's backing. Bai Ning, grateful for Tang Ying's steadfast support, vowed to prepare diligently for the election. The competition for senior partner became a hot topic among the staff.
Liu Fang and Monica openly speculated about the "clash of immortals" between Tang Ying backing Bai Ning and Li Gongming supporting Chen Ran, predicting that Attorney Jiang would be an underdog. When pressed by Liu Fang about his hypothetical vote, Xiao He awkwardly evaded the question, claiming he wouldn't make assumptions, which prompted Monica to tease him, suggesting he would vote for Bai Ning.
Liu Fang also light-heartedly warned Xiao He not to be ungrateful to Chen Ran for having helped him join the firm. Attorney Jiang later met with Attorney He, who had just returned from his honeymoon, to seek his support. She acknowledged that with Bai Ning backed by Tang Ying and Chen Ran by Director Li, Attorney He's support was vital to create a more balanced and fair competition, hoping the most qualified person would emerge victorious for Mingtang's future.
Attorney He, however, expressed reluctance to get involved, preferring to withdraw entirely and finding the senior partner position too demanding, especially after getting married. Despite admiring Jiang's drive, he promised to consider her request. Chen Ran hosted Chen Ke for dinner at her home, where he enjoyed the warmth of family, feeling delighted to have a cool uncle. Chen Ke asked about her bid for senior partner.
Chen Ran explained that with her husband's long-term transfer and Yangyang soon facing high school exams, her family responsibilities kept her busy. She maintained a "let nature take its course" attitude, not having full confidence given the many excellent lawyers at Mingtang. Chen Ke expressed his hope that she would become senior partner, believing their father would have wanted her to lead Mingtang, but acknowledged that other candidates were equally eager.
Chen Ran then clarified that the competition was not as simple as it seemed, with each candidate harboring their own intentions, ultimately stating that the choice was hers alone. Xu Jie visited Xiaoyu in the hospital, comforting her distress and promising to clear her name. She spoke with Doctor Tan, who revealed Xiaoyu was suffering from severe depression and emotional dependency disorder, emphasizing the need for family support and psychological counseling.
However, Xiaoyu refused contact with her family, fearing their reprimands. Unexpectedly, Xu Jie encountered Li Gongming, who was there for a check-up. Taking his report, she discovered he had a brain tumor. Xu Jie deduced that his urgent push for the merger was due to his health. Li Gongming admitted his condition had been discovered over six months ago, explaining that his goal was to secure Mingtang's future while he was still able.
He recalled first meeting Xu Jie at a debate competition, calling her a genius with limitless potential, and confirmed his promise that she would become a senior partner within three years. Now that her probation had passed, he intended to first make her a regular partner after the current senior partner selection. He also characterized Chen Ran as "Buddha-like," or laid-back. Xu Jie assured him that she understood his deep emotional connection to Mingtang.
She then reiterated that she came to Jinghai with a specific mission, implying that her aspirations extended beyond titles and that she would keep his illness a secret to maintain stability at the firm. Xu Jie's suspicions about foul play in client matters were confirmed. She directly questioned Song Xiu, asking if Chengtai was behind Shihao Hotel's sudden contract termination and Xiaoyu's recent breakdown, suggesting Huang Yaoqing might have instructed Sun Zhewei.
Song Xiu, eager to pursue a collective lawsuit for Xiaoyu due to Shihao Hotel's second breach of agreement and Xiaoyu's ongoing online abuse, presented his materials to Huang Yaoqing. However, Huang Yaoqing revealed that Chengtai was now representing Shihao Hotel, dismissing Xiaoyu's case and directing Song Xiu to hand over her materials to Sun Zhewei.
Incensed, Song Xiu confronted Sun Zhewei, accusing him of instigating Shihao Hotel's slander against Xiaoyu, and openly challenged Huang Yaoqing about a lawyer's duty and principles. Huang Yaoqing sternly reprimanded Song Xiu, emphasizing that as a Chengtai lawyer, he must obey the firm's directives, dismissing ideals of "justice and fairness" and asserting his authority as the boss.
Later, Huang Yaoqing confided in Sun Zhewei that Song Xiu reminded him of his own impetuous youth and that, with proper guidance, he could become a formidable talent. He acknowledged that their efforts to intercept Mingtang's client cases had been only partially successful and that Li Gongming was now in talks with Qingmu.
He then instructed Sun Zhewei to recruit the unsuccessful candidates from Mingtang's senior partner election to internally destabilize the firm, believing that attracting key talent was as effective and less costly than a full acquisition. Xiaoyu, in a message to Song Xiu, expressed gratitude for making her feel that kindness and justice still existed in the world. Huang Yaoqing then assigned Song Xiu to represent Hunter Restaurant in a new case.
This case involved a well-known blogger, Shen Mingyue, who, while dining at Hunter Restaurant with her boyfriend, was given a "courtesy menu" without prices, a practice the restaurant defended as a cultural gesture to allow women to enjoy their meal without concern for cost, with the expectation that the man would pay. Shen Mingyue, however, viewed this as blatant gender discrimination and was suing the restaurant to stop the practice, not for compensation.
During mediation, Song Xiu, representing Hunter Restaurant, argued that the menu was merely a polite gesture, akin to removing price tags from gifts, and that women could always request a priced menu. Chen Ran, representing Shen Mingyue, countered that such practices reinforced gender disparity and must be stopped. Shen Mingyue remained unyielding, refusing to negotiate unless the restaurant agreed to change its policy, leading to the failure of the mediation.
Seeing an opportunity, Xu Jie brought healthy sushi for Li Gongming, teasing him as a "priority protection object." She then inquired how Chen Ran could improve her chances in the senior partner election, noting the close performance of all three candidates. Li Gongming suggested that a significant increase in Chen Ran's performance in a short period would greatly boost her chances, once again reminding Xu Jie to keep his health condition confidential.
With Xu Jie's probation officially passed and Chen Ke's support, Chen Ran felt confident enough to commit to preparing for the senior partner role. She imagined working with Xu Jie and Chen Ke to make their Team Two flourish. Song Xiu, after his argument with Huang Yaoqing, confirmed to Xu Jie that Chengtai was indeed representing Shihao Hotel, making it impossible for him to continue representing Xiaoyu.
Xu Jie acknowledged this was expected, speculating that Shihao Hotel's brazen violation of their agreement indicated a well-orchestrated plan, likely executed by Sun Zhewei, who had probably coerced many victims. She noted that while a collective lawsuit for Xiaoyu offered good prospects, it would be a lengthy battle. Song Xiu offered all his collected case materials and his assistance if Xu Jie took on Xiaoyu's case.
However, Xu Jie refused to accept the documents directly, emphasizing the importance of not breaking rules. She praised Song Xiu for maintaining his integrity at Chengtai. As a compromise, she suggested that whether she "received" the materials was her decision, while what he "did" with them was his, subtly acknowledging his indirect support while adhering to ethical boundaries.
