Lu Mingjun returned to her workstation and began reviewing the case files for Jiangfa Bank.
Prioritization was key—the equity transfer case for Changhong Group and the non-performing asset case for S City Asset Management were more important. However, both had long procedural timelines, while the Jiangfa Bank case was scheduled to go to trial next month.
It was clear that Jiangfa Bank had made a last-minute decision to entrust this case to Xinxing Law Firm.
Lu Mingjun composed herself and thought, This is a good opportunity. If she handled it well, the bank's annual consulting contract might fall right into her lap.
She glanced toward Director Jiang Xinxin's office and got back to work.
Some favors should be remembered in your heart.
The Jiangfa Bank case seemed complicated at first glance, but in reality, the bank had been implicated through no fault of its own.
An elderly woman had heard that the bank's financial products offered much higher returns than fixed deposits, so she brought her life savings and met with the bank's account manager—Jiang Ze.
Because both the bank and the manager shared the surname "Jiang," the woman trusted him deeply.
After all, how could someone working for such a big bank possibly embezzle her ¥300,000?
But Jiang Ze didn't live up to her trust.
He tricked the elderly woman into transferring all her savings into an account he designated, telling her that, as an internal employee, he could offer her better rates and more profit.
The old woman didn't understand "better rates," but she understood "more money."
So she transferred the money.
Then, Jiang Ze began paying her small amounts of "interest" each month. The returns were even higher than she had expected.
Excited, the old woman told her friends. Eventually, more elderly women followed suit, saying,
"That bank is run by his family—what's there to be afraid of?"
And just like that, Jiang Ze accumulated 7–8 million yuan in total—and disappeared.
When the second month passed without a single interest payment, the group of elderly women went to the bank, only to find out that Jiang Ze had already resigned.
Many of them fainted on the spot. Only a few stayed conscious long enough to explain what had happened.
The bank was stunned. They immediately called the police.
Jiang Ze was eventually arrested, but most of the money was already gone.
The elderly victims filed a joint lawsuit against the bank, demanding that their money be returned.
After reviewing the entire case, Lu Mingjun had a rough plan in mind.
The legal aspect wasn't difficult. The real issue lay in handling the plaintiffs—a group of elderly victims. The bank would have to tread carefully.
Still, Lu Mingjun smiled to herself. It was impressive that these old ladies had chosen to solve the problem through litigation—quite forward-thinking of them!
After organizing her thoughts, she jotted down her legal strategy in her notebook.
Then she looked up and realized night had fallen. Everyone else had already left.
Lu Mingjun packed her things, picked up the commuter bag the firm had lent her, and walked out.
The receptionist, Xiao Cheng, had already gone home, leaving the office key on the desk.
Per office policy, the last to leave would lock up.
It was her first full day at the law firm—and Lu Mingjun felt great. Compared to the legal work she had done in her previous life, being a lawyer gave her a refreshing sense of purpose.
She walked slowly down the street. Her shadow stretched under the glow of the streetlamp, and the cool breeze ruffled her hair.
In S City, midsummer arrived a bit later. July evenings were still pleasantly cool.
Thinking about the 6,000 yuan transferred to her bank card by the firm, she hesitated to spend a whole day shopping for clothes.
She looked at the brightly lit Marriott Shopping Center in the distance, turned on her heel, and walked toward it.
Since Director Jiang insisted, I should pick out some proper formal clothes tonight!
In both her lives, she had never entered such a mall. With limited funds, the most extravagant purchase she had ever made was a 500-yuan suit on Vipshop.
Now, with nearly 9,000 yuan in hand, she stepped into the mall. The lights dazzled, the crowd bustled, and the atmosphere buzzed with luxury.
But Lu Mingjun stayed focused. She had less than 2 yuan left on her card, and she needed at least three sets of professional clothing to get her through the next few weeks.
The brand didn't matter—but the style had to be conservative and the material high-end.
If well cared for, such clothes could last years without going out of style.
Old habits die hard. She was still used to budgeting carefully.
She browsed the stores, comparing prices and styles. Eventually, she found a shop with good value, though the brand was unfamiliar.
When choosing workwear, she focused only on color, cut, and fabric.
She quickly picked two dark-colored shirts, one plain-colored shirt, a pair of trousers, and a skirt.
The outfits were elegant and simple—perfect for formal settings. The fabric was durable and looked expensive.
Pleased, she carried the items into the fitting room.
Standing in front of the mirror, she saw a different version of herself.
She smiled. Now that you're back, you have to make your life count.
The clothes made her look confident and capable—just right for a lawyer.
She checked the price tags and hesitated, but gritted her teeth and paid anyway.
After the discount, the total was 7,560 yuan. Lu Mingjun swiped her card reluctantly, then walked out of the mall with her new wardrobe.
She already had a pair of black leather shoes—classic and still in good condition—so she didn't buy another pair.
Back in her north-facing rental room, she praised herself. See? You only sleep here. Why waste money on a south-facing room?
She carefully hung the new clothes in the closet.
The next morning, when she arrived at the law firm dressed in her new attire, Miao Qingchuan couldn't stop glancing at her.
Lu Mingjun smiled and teased, "Why are you staring at me instead of working?"
Miao shook his head. "They say clothes make the person. You look amazing today!"
Maybe it was because his compliment was so genuine, but it lifted her spirits.
That good mood stayed with her all evening.
Later, she rode with Jiang Xinxin to the RONG Hotel, near Jinfeng Lake in S City.
As they walked in, Director Jiang said, "Tonight, Director Ma Yuange from the Li Ze Institute and Director Zhang Hua from Manlian Institute will also be attending."
She paused, then added, "By the way, the Guangfa case was taken by Manlian."
Lu Mingjun nodded. That was normal. The legal circle was small—you were bound to run into competitors.
What she didn't expect was that before she even opened her mouth, Director Zhang Hua from Manlian made a jab: "Director Jiang entrusted such an important case to a trainee lawyer? That's a serious betrayal of the client's trust."
Jiang Xinxin calmly took a sip of wine and said nothing.
Lu Mingjun smiled and replied, "From what you've said, Director Zhang, are you planning to handle the case personally?"
Zhang Hua fell silent, pretending he hadn't said anything.
Unbothered, Lu Mingjun took a sip of water and said casually,
"I look forward to working with you, Director Zhang. Please feel free to offer your guidance."
Only then did Jiang Xinxin smile with satisfaction and say,
"Zhang Hua, if you lose to a trainee lawyer, won't you be the one losing face?"
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