Lady of Law Episode 9 Recap
> Lady of Law Recap
Xu Jie surmised that Chengtai Law Firm, currently handling the Lianchuang case, likely housed the anonymous informant they sought, though Chen Ran denied having any contacts there. Chen Ran also revealed that her mother, a professional investor, had invested in Lianchuang Group's financial products. The two lawyers located Zhao Chenfeng's address, and upon their arrival, he was already waiting for them, confirming he was the insider.
To prevent any recording, Zhao Chenfeng had them place their phones inside a rice cooker. He challenged their claim of representing Wu Enping, stating that Wu Enping was still in custody and not yet in a position to hire a lawyer, and correctly suspected they were from Four Seasons Pharmaceutical. Xu Jie pressed him, explaining that the pharmaceutical company urgently needed to know the whereabouts and purpose of the stolen items.
Zhao Chenfeng feigned ignorance, claiming that even if Wu Enping had given him something, it would no longer be with him after two days. Xu Jie warned him that if they could find him, so could the police, and he shouldn't bear the consequences alone. Chen Ran, piecing together the information, deduced that Zhao Chenfeng and Wu Enping were working together.
She inferred that Wu Enping, a quality inspector, had discovered issues with Four Seasons Pharmaceutical's drugs, stolen a sample, and entrusted it to Zhao Chenfeng, a pharmaceutical preparations expert at a medical school, for testing. Their deliberate stalling was intended to gather evidence and prevent the faulty drugs from being released to the market on Monday. This revelation led to a disagreement between Xu Jie and Chen Ran.
Xu Jie insisted their duty as lawyers was to find and intercept the stolen medication for their client. Chen Ran countered that if the drugs were indeed problematic, it was their obligation as law-abiding citizens to help Wu Enping expose the truth, viewing his actions as righteous, not criminal. Xu Jie dismissed this as emotional, arguing that violating confidentiality agreements was a breach of company regulations.
She reiterated that their role was to serve their client, and any alleged illegal activities by the pharmaceutical company were a matter for the police, not them. Director Li Gongming, while not explicitly taking a side, expressed his concerns to Xu Jie. He noted that if Four Seasons Pharmaceutical was indeed problematic, it would be the second major client from their firm, following Lianchuang, to face issues, which would severely damage Mingtang's reputation.
Xu Jie understood that the pharmaceutical company's reluctance to involve the police directly implied that the drugs were flawed. After this conversation, Xu Jie and Chen Ran returned to Zhao Chenfeng's house, deciding to obtain the test results and report Four Seasons Pharmaceutical to the regulatory authorities. During their second visit, they informed Zhao Chenfeng that they knew the drugs were problematic and that Wu Enping's intention was to expose the factory.
Xu Jie gave her personal assurance that they would submit the test results to the authorities. Convinced, Zhao Chenfeng handed over the inspection report and video documentation. Shortly after, Lin Weiping from the Market Supervision Administration arrived at Four Seasons Pharmaceutical to conduct a spot check on the batch of substandard medicines. Meanwhile, Chen Ran was too preoccupied with the case to see her husband, Jian Peiran, off as he departed for the Northeast.
His mother came to the airport, bringing him pickled vegetables and asking if Chen Ran was upset about his departure. Jian Peiran reassured her and asked her not to say such things in front of Chen Ran. Upon his arrival in Yanji, Jian Peiran's colleagues warmly welcomed him, showed him his dormitory, and treated him to a dinner of local Yanbian cuisine.
Jian Peiran sent a long message to Chen Ran, informing her of his safe arrival and hoping for a new beginning for them. He acknowledged her anxieties over her father's case and her parents' marital issues, urging her not to doubt her family and to confide in him. At the welcome dinner, the site's only female employee, Damao, heartily toasted Jian Peiran. Embracing the local custom, he clinked glasses with everyone.
When a colleague asked if his wife could handle his absence, he simply replied that they were an "old married couple." Later, at the construction site, he took a call from Chen Ran, who had read his message. She expressed concern about his drinking, and he promised to take care of himself. At Mingtang Law Firm, Li Gongming assigned Song Xiu a shop dispute case, instructing him to pursue an out-of-court settlement.
Song Xiu expressed his desire to handle "core cases" to secure an early promotion, but Li Gongming advised him to continue building experience. Later, Attorney Bai approached Song Xiu, suggesting they collaborate to reclaim the Feilaiyin project from Group Two, framing it as a standard workplace move. Song Xiu felt conflicted about such internal competition. Chen Ran met with Li Gongming to explain her actions in the Four Seasons case.
She asserted that providing evidence to the authorities was her personal decision and didn't believe it tarnished Mingtang's reputation, as the client had violated professional ethics. Li Gongming acknowledged her reasoning but stated she should have consulted him first. Chen Ran admitted she had been impulsive and took responsibility. She also revealed that her junior colleague, Xiao He, had covered her duty lawyer shift.
Tang Jing later interviewed Xiao He, who defended his actions, stating that as a duty lawyer, he believed he acted correctly. When Chen Ran recommended Xiao He for a position at the firm, Li Gongming assured her he would not hold the case against Xiao He but would not lower recruitment standards for him either. Separately, Xu Jie adopted the alias "Jenny" and posed as an investor to meet Qian Qiuqing at a wine tasting event.
Xu Jie subtly probed Qian Qiuqing by mentioning her own mother's investment in Lianchuang Group, a veiled reference to Chen Wenguang. Qian Qiuqing's demeanor visibly shifted, and she politely excused herself. Meanwhile, an online news article appeared, criticizing lawyers who prioritize principles over client interests, a clear reference to Chen Ran. Tang Jing voiced her dissatisfaction to Li Gongming that two major clients, Lianchuang and Four Seasons, had run into trouble within three months, damaging Mingtang's reputation.
She proposed taking over the Feilaiyin contract renewal herself, excluding Chen Ran and Xu Jie. Li Gongming agreed on the importance of retaining Feilaiyin but stressed the priority was to learn why their contract, which had expired two months prior due to Chen Wenguang's situation, had not been renewed. Liu Fang then reported to Chen Ran that the Feilaiyin representative had failed to appear for their scheduled pickup, despite their plane having landed.
Chen Ran went to Li Gongming and Tang Jing, confirming Feilaiyin was a no-show. She argued that since Feilaiyin had paid its quarterly fees, the business relationship was still active, and insisted that as it was Group Two's client, she should resolve the issue.
