Chapter 442: I Want to Write the Character for 'Miserable' on You

"What?" Cao Zhongbo froze there; he had no idea that the other party had already resigned!

From the engagement until now, such a long time had passed, and he had assumed Fan Bing was still working here, so even if he felt something was not quite right in his heart, he would still deceive himself for a while.

People in love, especially the "lick-dog" type, will imagine things to comfort themselves.

She hasn't replied to my messages all day; she must be busy...

Calling in the middle of the night, she was panting while talking; she must be climbing the stairs...

But in fact, everyone is an adult; even if one is busy, has there ever been a time when one didn't touch their phone for a whole day?

Not touching the phone for an hour feels unbearable...

Cao Zhongbo was able to enter Tengda, so he was at least not a fool; he just fell into love at the beginning, and because of the other party's looks, he subconsciously felt she must be a good girl.

But now, the person had already resigned, couldn't be reached by phone, and only replied to messages every few days; even a fool could realize there was a problem!

Engagement, perhaps in our lives it feels like it has great significance, but legally speaking, let alone being engaged, even if you have already held the wedding banquet, it has no legal effect.

Back when the "New Marriage Smoke Law" was introduced, the determination of Fact Marriage no longer looked at wedding banquets, let alone the current Civil Code.

Legally, only registration matters!

This definitely wouldn't do; Cao Zhongbo turned around and headed back to the Company. He wanted to quickly ask for leave and then go to the other party's home.

It was 200,000; perhaps in the eyes of many people on the internet, this is just a small amount of money, after all, the average annual income of people online is a million, but in reality, 200,000 is definitely not a small sum.

Six hundred million people in the country have a monthly income of less than one thousand yuan... although this includes the elderly and children, reality is definitely not like what is seen online where everyone has a high income.

Ten minutes later, in He Ling's office.

"Little Cao, you say you want to ask for leave again. Although our Company has always been relatively lenient in this regard, you still have to provide a suitable reason. Otherwise, if everyone is in a hurry to ask for leave, do I have to approve all of them?" He Ling said, looking at Cao Zhongbo in front of her.

A company cannot be blindly lenient; blind leniency does not necessarily bring everyone's gratitude, and it is also possible... they will treat you, the boss, as an idiot.

This is reality, because human nature is always complex and cannot be simply distinguished by good people and bad people.

Therefore, Zhou Mouren is responsible for being magnanimous, but the specific daily operations of the Company still depend on the Company's regulations.

As long as you comply with the Company's regulations, you can take half a year of paid leave at once, but if you do not comply with the Company's regulations, then I am sorry, you have to find a way to convince experienced HR personnel like He Ling yourself.

What makes Tengda different from other companies is that it proactively explains all Company regulations to Employees. If you feel a certain regulation is unreasonable or violates the law, you can submit an application.

As long as it is appropriate, the Company will modify it.

Cao Zhongbo hesitated, but after thinking about it, he still told his story.

"Manager He, I am truly worried. This 200,000 is, after all, all the money my family has; it is the hard-earned money of my parents and me. If there really is a problem, then... then I don't know how I will live."

He Ling was dumbfounded. Did this matter actually go wrong?

The Company went to great lengths to organize a social mixer, and then something like this happened.

"Why are you only saying this now when it's such a big deal? And you don't even think about it: since you've decided to get engaged, why can't the wedding date be set? You, oh you, how do you expect me to talk to you!"

He Ling almost blurted out the word "lick-dog."

But now, what this "lick-dog" spent was not just his own savings, but also his parents' retirement money; this definitely cannot go wrong.

The key is that this young man is a bit pathetic; I really want to write a big character for 'miserable' on you...

Cao Zhongbo didn't speak; his mind was very chaotic right now, especially chaotic.

And the key is that his parents cannot know; if his parents found out, it could really cause problems.

"Stop talking. I will approve your leave first, then you go to the Legal Department, see which Lawyer is there, and have a simple consultation with them to see how you can be prepared in advance." He Ling waved her hand and said.

Regarding an Employee's personal problems, the greatest role of the Company's Legal Department is that the Employee can do the consultation beforehand, letting you know what consequences this matter might have, and how you can secure evidence for the sake of timely self-rescue.

In many cases, you are clearly very aggrieved, but you just can't win because you have no evidence.

So even if you want to be serious later, there is no way. This is actually the greatest role of the Tengda Company Legal Department.

After arriving, he queued as usual. Having experienced the surge of Lawsuits a while ago, there are not many cases now that reach the stage of needing approval from Zhou Mouren; most are for consultation.

The standard of these Lawyers at Tengda is certainly not top-tier, especially the "Crouching Dragon" and "Phoenix Chick"...

These two brothers are now used to this title, but they argue endlessly over who is the "Crouching Dragon" and who is the "Phoenix Chick," even resorting to fists and kicks.

Because the "Crouching Dragon" is a handsome man, while the "Phoenix Chick" is a bit hard on the eyes...

However, they are well-versed in many "little tricks for collecting evidence," and these little tricks are in the gray area.

If you say it's illegal, the Lawyer will definitely give you something that isn't illegal, but if you set aside the facts, you will feel that these tricks have a sense of "entrapment."

Just like the matter with Finance Sister Yin last time, strictly speaking, this might involve filing a false police report, but as long as Sister Yin insists that she just felt her husband took the money to go whoring, then what can you say?

After all, opening a room at a hotel also costs money; can you say Sister Yin filed a false police report? She just guessed wrong.

There are many obscure and unknown things in life. When Zhou Mouren was chatting with Lawyer Fang before, Lawyer Fang, after getting drunk, even said that according to regulations, remarriage and resuming a marriage are also entitled to marriage leave.

Isn't it a surprise? Everyone knows that marriage has marriage leave, which is clearly stipulated by law, and there are also regulations that remarriage and resuming a marriage also have marriage leave...

In Lawyer Fang's words, as long as you aren't afraid, whenever you feel tired of work, just divorce your wife, then remarry to enjoy marriage leave, and when you're done and feel tired again, repeat the previous operation...

Of course, this actually has a feeling of "malicious leave-taking."

Why else would they say the Lawyers are the ones who play tricks? Others wouldn't even think of this.

After queuing for about ten minutes, he finally entered the office. The door was closed; just like a doctor's consultation, an Employee's privacy must be valued.

Inside was Wang Daoren, who said while drinking water: "Sit down, tell me what the situation is."

Cao Zhongbo explained his situation and then asked: "Lawyer Wang, tell me, what should I do in my situation? The money has already been given to her."

Wang Daoren, who had finished drinking water, began to have his eyes light up while listening to the account. Upon hearing this, he said: "Let's sort this out. You mean that woman named Fan Bing got to know you for about two weeks before talking about marriage, then got engaged after a little over a month, and as a result, disappeared directly after asking for your Bride Price, right?"

This sounded like something was wrong, but it was also right.

"Yes, Lawyer Wang, because I just checked online when I had nothing to do, and it said that if the other party regrets it now, the Bride Price can be returned..."

Wang Daoren chuckled: "Let's not talk about the issue of returning it or not for now. After all, you can't be sure if she wants to marry you or not, right? So, if you want to find her, we must be prepared to secure evidence."

Bride Price is a conditional Gift; this is something many people know.

And if the other party does not intend to get married, then the condition has not been fulfilled, the Gift will not be established, and it should be returned.

"The issue of returning the Bride Price you mentioned is, after all, not even a start yet. Don't think about filing a Lawsuit first; that is the last step. The situation here is very complex. By then, whether your 200,000 Bride Price can be returned, and how much will be returned, all depends on the situation."

This is the fact, because in a specific judgment, the Court must consider local customs and practices, consider whether there was cohabitation, and many other issues, to make a comprehensive judgment.

"But..." Cao Zhongbo really wanted to say that returning the Bride Price was the key issue, but he still chose to trust this Lawyer Wang.

"Then how do you say I should do it?"

"Simple, first get ready to record, and when the time comes, ask according to the words I taught you!"

After teaching Cao Zhongbo what to say, seeing that the other party still didn't quite understand, Wang Daoren didn't want to explain either.

These questions are actually not that difficult; first confirm whether the other party really wants to get married, if they don't want to get married, then return the Bride Price, if they are willing to return it, then it's actually fine.

It's just that Lawyer Wang would be a little disappointed, but even if the scheme is deep, if people are willing to return the money, he certainly can't say anything.

And if no matter how you ask they are unwilling to return the Bride Price, then you can follow Lawyer Wang's scheme.

If it were a normal situation, Cao Zhongbo would have no results the first time he went, and if he came to consult a lawyer again, he would be a step late.

Having obtained the "Wolong's" brilliant plan, Cao Zhongbo was like the Zhao Zilong of the past; although he was completely bewildered, he was still prepared to follow through.

After Cao Zhongbo left, Wang Daoren couldn't help but sing there: "I have neither ambush nor soldiers, you should not let your imagination run wild and be uneasy..."

And at this moment, on the other side, inside a room, Fan Bing was chatting with her parents.

"Anyway, I don't want to marry him. Just looking at all those pimples on his face makes me feel disgusted!"

Hearing this, Fan Bing's mother, Wang Caixia, thought for a moment and said: "Then don't marry him, anyway, just don't see him."

Fan Bing's younger brother on the side spoke up: "Mom, what about the Bride Price? What should we do about the Bride Price?"

"What do you mean what to do, keep it! This was given by them, how can you ask for back what has already been given? Whose family returns the Bride Price once it's given!" Wang Caixia said without even thinking.

"Besides, your sister is already engaged to him. If this gets out, it won't sound good for her reputation. Shouldn't he give some compensation? Listen to me, when the time comes, this money will be used to buy you a car, and then for your wedding."

Fan Bing's younger brother immediately had nothing to say. Although it felt a bit wrong, since it was being used on himself, then it was fine.

Fan Bing did not object and also nodded.

She didn't go to college; after graduating from high school, she wandered around in society, and coupled with the influence of some "toilets" on the internet in her daily life, her way of thinking was a little different.

People's minds are very strange. Perhaps at the very beginning, Fan Bing wanted to marry Cao Zhongbo, but later she slowly discovered that the other party's conditions were just so-so, and perhaps her mind changed.

However, whether she actually had such thoughts, and when her mind changed, these are all unknown, because these are subjective factors.

In law, especially in Criminal Law, we must speak of Subjective and Objective Unity; subjective factors are extremely important.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be said that after having relations with someone one thought was a corpse but was actually a living person, it is possible to be convicted of the crime of insulting a corpse...

We have no way of knowing the subjective aspect, which is why we need evidence to prove it.

Anyway, the current Fan Bing doesn't want to be with Cao Zhongbo at all, so after the engagement, she just disappeared.

At this moment, a knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it? Coming, coming, stop knocking!" Fan Bing's father walked over to open the door, and immediately saw Cao Zhongbo standing at the door, expressionless.

"Li-, Little Cao, you came, why did you come?"

After all, he felt that his daughter's behavior was not quite right, so he had no confidence when speaking.

"Is Fan Bing home?" Cao Zhongbo said, and while speaking, he had already turned on the recording equipment.

Fan Bing's father looked back, he didn't know what to say.

Inside the house, Fan Bing had already heard Cao Zhongbo's voice, stood up directly, walked to the door, and then folded her arms and said: "What's wrong, why did you come?"

"Why did I come? If I didn't come, I wouldn't know. We just got engaged, you don't answer calls or messages, and I only found out you quit your job after going to your Company. What is this supposed to mean?"

Fan Bing said coldly: "It doesn't mean anything, it's just that I suddenly realized I don't want to marry you anymore. So what, is there a problem?"

This sentence was like a piece of solid ice, shattering the last bit of hope of classmate Little Cao into pieces.

In his heart, he really wanted to be with this girl, form a beautiful family, and live a happy life.

But, the other party seemed not to care about his thoughts at all.

If He Ling were here, she would definitely tell him, who would care about the thoughts of a "licker"?

Everything you do is just self-indulgence; I don't understand why some people always think they can succeed by licking.

Originally, after getting this answer, Cao Zhongbo should have started asking as Wang Daoren taught him, but he was a bit broken.

"You don't want to get married just like that? We just got engaged a few days ago, why are you doing this?" Cao Zhongbo shouted there with great emotion.

With the arguing, the neighbors naturally poked their heads out to watch the excitement. Cao Zhongbo became more and more agitated as he spoke, and he couldn't hold back his tears.

"Can you stop shouting? You're a grown man, what are you crying for? I just don't want to get married, so what!"

"You're sick!"

After saying this, she intended to go back. Cao Zhongbo finally woke up; he suddenly felt that he had really been like a dog before.

He raised his sleeve and wiped away his tears directly. Cao Zhongbo's tone became calm: "Wait a minute, not getting married is fine, but what about the Bride Price? I gave you two hundred thousand in Bride Price, you return it to me."

As he spoke, he took the opportunity to look at his phone and said: "By the way, I'm telling you, I'm recording here."

"You're even recording, right? Fine, Cao Zhongbo, you've grown some guts, haven't you? I'm telling you, I won't return a single cent of the Bride Price!"

"You want back the Bride Price that was already given? Cao Zhongbo, are you still a man? I've realized now that leaving you was really too wise. I've never seen a man as petty as you!"

As she spoke, Fan Bing had already come up and snatched the phone away, directly turning off the recording inside. Just as she was about to say something, Cao Zhongbo had already spoken.

What the other party said gave him a bit of high blood pressure, two hundred thousand... I want it back now, and this actually makes me petty?

It was just that Lawyer Wang had a tutorial, so Cao Zhongbo forcibly suppressed his anger and said before the other party could speak: "But according to the Civil Code of our country, in your situation, you must return it to me. If you don't return it, it is an illegal act..."

Talking about law in front of many people will, in most cases, be interrupted, triggering a "you talk about law, I laugh" consequence.

However, doing this also has one result, which is to divert the other party's attention away from the matter of the recording.

Indeed, Cao Zhongbo looked at his phone, but he never said that he was using his phone to record.

In Criminal Case evidence, the judgment of evidence like audio and video recordings is very strict; you must inform them before recording for these to count as evidence.

Otherwise, there will be major flaws, and whether it will be accepted is another matter.

And now, I told you I was recording, and you didn't express clear opposition. As for you thinking my phone was recording, I never said that.

The schemes of lawyers, when they really play them, are quite dirty...

The result was exactly as Wang Daoren had thought; before he could finish speaking, he was directly interrupted: "I just won't return it, so what? Didn't you give me this Bride Price voluntarily? Did I force you to give it? You gave it, and now you want it back?"

"And talking about the Civil Code, if you have the ability, go ahead and sue me! See if I'll give it to you!"

It was obvious that the other party's attention had shifted, and in that feeling of "you talk about the law, I laugh," she had even cast the matter of the recording to the back of her mind.

He had originally entered a cool-headed state and started executing the operation, but Fan Bing's words made Cao Zhongbo's temper flare up instantly.

He felt that he had never understood the girl in front of him before; it was hard to imagine, she looked so beautiful, why would she think this way? This money clearly belonged to his family!

"Does your whole family think this way? This is all my family's hard-earned money, by what right do you refuse to give it back!"

"Fan Bing, I'll ask one more time, are you going to give it back or not?"

Fan Bing replied directly: "Anyway, the money has already been used to buy a car for my younger brother, my family can't take it out, so do whatever you want."

"Fine, you won't give it back, right? Then just wait. I'll ask you one last thing: you are being so heartless now, was everything in the past just an act? Have you ever actually thought about marrying me?" After saying this, Cao Zhongbo stared straight at her.

According to what Lawyer Wang said, this sentence was the key, and also the most important point of all!

Although he didn't know why asking this would be the key—wasn't this just like those male and female leads in TV dramas, always asking "did you ever really love me" at the drop of a hat...

However, in the law, "did you ever love me" doesn't count for much, but "have you ever thought about marrying me up until now," that is very critical.

Fan Bing on the opposite side had long since been made uncomfortable, and upon hearing this, she said directly: "I feel disgusted just looking at that face full of acne on you, and you want to talk about marriage? Why don't you take a look at what you look like yourself!"

"Anyway, I'm telling you, if you want the Bride Price, there's no way!"

Cao Zhongbo thought carefully and realized there didn't seem to be anything else, so he nodded and said: "Fine, just you wait."

He finished speaking and turned to leave. After reaching the doorway, he took out another mobile phone hidden in his chest, confirmed that everything had been recorded, and only then did he call Wang Daoren.

"Lawyer Wang, the masks are off; she said she won't return a single cent to me."

Today's first update is here, over five thousand words. Whether there will be one tonight depends on the situation, because I have something to go out for. Thanks to another newcomer brother, Wenchidage, and the brother 'Interest-Driven God-Draw Dog'. Thank you brothers for the tips, thank you.

(End of this chapter)