[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-reborn-starting-from-1993":3,"chapter-reborn-starting-from-1993-reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-42":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Reborn Starting from 1993",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2357026,4611,"Chapter 42","reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-42",42,"\u003Cp>Looking at Larson, who wore an air of moral righteousness as if he were justice incarnate, Li Dongling might have been fooled—if he hadn’t checked this lawyer’s background before arriving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larson was one of New York’s most notorious vulture lawyers; while his courtroom skills weren’t the best, he was unquestionably the most ruthless, the most unscrupulous, even daring enough to hire private detectives to tail and dig up dirt on prosecutors and judges, then use the media to pressure them—truly audacious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he could win the case and get dollars, Larson would do anything; in his world, ethics were measured in U.S. dollars—if the risk wasn’t high enough to get him killed, he’d take the job without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside Larson’s gilded office, filled with famous paintings and antiques, and accompanied by a receptionist and assistants whose conduct clearly suggested improper relationships with him, Li Dongling could see just how lavish Larson’s lifestyle was—all of it sustained by U.S. dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Want a cigar? These are authentic Cuban!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the assistant—whose looks and figure were outstanding, just like the receptionist—brought coffee and left, Larson pulled out a box of cigars and asked Li Dongling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Dongling decline, Larson put the cigars away, sat down in his custom-made luxury executive chair, and probed, “Li, I don’t know where you’re from…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“China!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh wow!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larson let out an exclamation, his small eyes darting as he plotted something anew, “A mysterious and extraordinary land—I saw it on the Discovery Channel, the Great Wall, pandas…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Dongling had no patience for small talk with Larson; playing logic games with a lawyer like him was like walking straight into a gun barrel—he made his living with his tongue, and Li Dongling always believed: never challenge someone’s livelihood with your hobby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dongling High-Tech is suing Microsoft. Will you take this case?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Microsoft?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Li Dongling lay it out plainly, Larson dropped the act and swore, “Shit, I knew those two million wouldn’t be easy to earn!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this scene, Yao Luoying’s illusion of lawyers as elite guardians of justice shattered completely; in America, lawyers had always been portrayed as elites representing justice, but now all that glamour was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s Microsoft! Even suing the NYPD or the City Hall has a higher chance of winning than suing Microsoft!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larson said gloomily, then looked at Li Dongling, “I need to warn you—this case isn’t guaranteed to win. Though I very much want those two million U.S. dollars…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t speaking out of professional ethics; with any ordinary client, he’d already started spinning lies. But in this era, anyone who could afford two million dollars for a lawsuit—no matter where Li Dongling came from—was someone Larson had to weigh carefully before stealing from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lawyers live on reputation and name; if he stole this two million today, it might look like profit, but afterward, Asian and Asian-American clients, and even American billionaires, would blacklist him forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, no reputable lawyer takes on a case that’s clearly lost; the more prestigious the lawyer, the more he protects his reputation—one loss could slash his value drastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This case must be won—but not necessarily in court!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Dongling said to Larson, who he didn’t expect to out-debate an entire Microsoft legal team single-handedly; if he could do that, he might as well run for a federal judgeship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Larson’s small eyes suddenly gleamed, “So, Li, you already have a plan?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need you, Larson, to bring out your best skills. We have little time—only two months, maybe even just one. Microsoft doesn’t have to admit defeat; it just needs to bow. Dongling High-Tech can accept…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A settlement out of court!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larson blurted it out excitedly—he already knew what Li Dongling was planning. This was his specialty: digging up dirt, stirring public opinion, pressuring Microsoft, then forcing an out-of-court settlement and collecting damages—he could conjure a dozen tactics blindfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not enough, not enough! Just stirring the media won’t make Microsoft bow!” Larson couldn’t sit still; he stood up and paced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if we get IBM, Lotus, and others to join in too…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still not enough,” Larson cut him off bluntly, “You don’t understand America at all. Do you know how many congressmen on Capitol Hill support Microsoft? Do you know how much Microsoft spends on PR every year?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a life-or-death crisis, it will never admit defeat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The U.S. Department of Justice!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larson suddenly stopped pacing, his gaze burning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Yao Luoying was startled—she hadn’t expected Larson to be this brazen, to even consider targeting the U.S. Department of Justice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larson laughed a few times, seeing Li Dongling lost in thought and Yao Luoying visibly worried, and said, “Madam, don’t worry—it doesn’t mean we need the Department of Justice to actually intervene. We just need Microsoft to feel the threat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Li…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larson’s face turned grim, his voice tight with gritted teeth, “We need to renegotiate the terms of this case. If we win, I want 80% of the damages—that’s the industry standard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, Larson had calculated: if he truly went all out, the two million dollars Li Dongling offered wouldn’t cover costs—he might even have to pay out of pocket. If he ended up losing money on this case, as a vulture lawyer, the ridicule would be unbearable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Dongling snapped back to reality—he realized Larson’s words might actually work. Microsoft wasn’t afraid of competitors—but would it fear a federal antitrust investigation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outwardly, Li Dongling didn’t hesitate, “Impossible. You don’t know how much Dongling High-Tech has already lost for this case. If we don’t get damages, we might go bankrupt. If you take so much, we might as well not sue at all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seventy percent—no less. Do you know how many connections I’ll have to mobilize? Reporters, TV stations, media outlets, prosecutors, the Department of Justice—all need PR. These aren’t things you can buy with dollars alone.” Larson began counting on his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another few minutes of bickering, Li Dongling and Larson finally agreed to split the damages equally if they won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll draft the retainer agreement now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larson said to Li Dongling, ready to go all in—if they won this case, he wouldn’t just pocket a fortune, he’d join the ranks of America’s top lawyers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This requires your cooperation, Li. After I file suit with the New York court, I’ll arrange for you to give an interview on a New York TV station. This exclusive is critical—it could determine the entire outcome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After signing the retainer agreement, Larson immediately began discussing strategy with Li Dongling; no matter how well he orchestrated things, he still needed the plaintiff to cooperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, if the plaintiff appears pitiful on TV, it generates massive sympathy and support, creating public pressure that forces the U.S. Marshals, federal prosecutors, federal courts, and even congressmen to yield—American power brokers, chasing votes, almost always compromise under public pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Dongling said. His identity differed from those American companies crushed by Microsoft—he needed to actively demonstrate to earn public support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today, I officially represent Dongling High-Tech in filing suit against Microsoft. This is a company from Asia. Many may wonder why I’d take on this case. But once you learn about this company, about its founder, you’ll understand its significance. Microsoft is strangling dreams—it has become the dragon that must be stopped by a brave warrior…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing at the entrance of the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Manhattan, before a sparse crowd of reporters, Larson delivered a passionate speech—all these reporters and media outlets had been paid for by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later this year, their newspapers would report on it; whether it would have any effect remained uncertain. Larson didn’t expect immediate results—he just needed to spread the story, create some ripples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dongling High-Tech actually sued us?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the news, Spencer and Bonas were stunned—they hadn’t expected Li Dongling to cross the Pacific all the way to sue Microsoft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honestly, I’d love to meet the founder of Dongling High-Tech,” Spencer said, half-laughing, half-exasperated, as if hearing something absurd, “If he came to Seattle to negotiate, I might even compensate his company enough for him to become a millionaire in his backward, savage country. But now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spencer’s voice turned angry, “Then let’s go to court. Get the legal team over here—I’ll show him what real Microsoft power looks like!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dressed in a sharp suit, hair slicked back with wax for once, Li Dongling stood backstage at the New York TV station while Yao Luoying adjusted his tie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Li Dongling’s handsome, refined appearance, Yao Luoying’s heart quickened—right now, he could pass for an American elite, or even an actor auditioning for Hollywood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li, are you ready? Your turn’s coming up…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larson returned backstage, saw Li Dongling’s appearance, and couldn’t help feeling a twinge of male envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have only thirty minutes!” Larson reminded Li Dongling urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>",1472,"2026-06-21T04:42:08.057Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f6b6e667c54f2059f75cd1d7fc9a5cdff943309ab7440f37f4a4cfd67781710b","reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-43","reborn-starting-from-1993-chapter-41",989,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Freborn-starting-from-1993-cover.jpg"]