Chapter 883: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 883: It Seems the Times Have Truly Changed

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Zhang Shaoping waited a few hours, then called Meng Yang back, telling him his client could only offer 300,000; if he was unwilling to accept, they could only proceed with litigation.

In the end, after much deliberation, Meng Yang had no choice but to accept.

Because under Zhang Shaoping's well-founded bluffing, he came to believe that Zhang Zhiqiang's family was already in dire straits, and estimated that 300,000 was already the maximum amount Zhang Zhiqiang's family could scrape together.

After Zhang Shaoping settled the compensation amount with the victim's family, he turned around and contacted the friend who had lent the motorcycle to Zhang Zhiqiang.

That man's name was Huang Zhijie.

Zhang Shaoping told Huang Zhijie, as well as Huang Zhijie's family, that because he had lent the motorcycle to Zhang Zhiqiang, resulting in Zhang Zhiqiang hitting and killing someone, and Zhang Zhiqiang himself had been crippled in the crash, with treatment costs being a bottomless pit, he therefore had to bear a portion of the responsibility.

Huang Zhijie was naturally very unwilling regarding this.

He felt that although he had lent the motorcycle to Zhang Zhiqiang, it was Zhang Zhiqiang himself who ran a red light and caused the traffic accident, and it had nothing to do with him.

Seeing Huang Zhijie trying to dodge the bill, Zhang Shaoping immediately cited legal provisions.

"According to Article 1209 of the Civil Code, in cases of borrowing, leasing, etc., where the owner or manager of a motor vehicle is not the same person as the user, if a traffic accident occurs causing damage, and the owner or manager was at fault for the occurrence of the damage, they shall bear corresponding liability for compensation."

Zhang Shaoping knew the legal provisions very well, able to recite them the moment he opened his mouth.

He also said:

"According to the 'Compulsory Scrapping Standards for Motor Vehicles Regulations,' motorcycles used for 13 years should be compulsorily scrapped. The Jialing motorcycle you lent to Zhang Zhiqiang, although it had license plates and the vehicle condition was still decent, according to police investigation it was manufactured in 1999, meaning it has already been 15 years to date, long past the compulsory scrapping age limit. You lent a motorcycle that had already exceeded its scrapping age limit to Zhang Zhiqiang, leading to Zhang Zhiqiang's traffic accident, so you definitely need to bear a portion of the responsibility."

Hearing this, Huang Zhijie felt a chill in his heart.

Zhang Shaoping's words were well-founded, and he didn't understand the law well, so for a moment he couldn't refute.

Seeing he had intimidated Huang Zhijie, Zhang Shaoping continued:

"Right now, the victim's family needs 300,000 in compensation. Under normal circumstances, you and Zhang Zhiqiang would split the responsibility half and half, so you would have to pay at least 150,000 to the victim's family. Additionally, the treatment costs for Zhang Zhiqiang's injuries also need you to bear a portion. However, Zhang Zhiqiang told me you are his friend, and he doesn't want to make things too ugly, so you only need to pay 130,000. If you disagree with this compensation, then we can only wait for the victim's family to go through litigation, and then determine your compensation amount according to legal provisions."

Huang Zhijie's expression was heavy:

"If we go through litigation, do I have to bear a portion of Zhang Zhiqiang's treatment costs?"

Zhang Shaoping said:

"Of course. Once it goes to litigation, my client certainly won't care about your feelings as a friend anymore. Furthermore, you've been dodging my client recently, which has given him some opinions about you. If you keep dodging like this, who knows, the amount you'll have to pay might not be as little as 150,000. My client's treatment costs alone are at least 300,000 to start."

Huang Zhijie was stunned dumb by Zhang Shaoping's bluffing.

Actually it doesn't really count as bluffing; what Zhang Shaoping said were all facts. If it really reached the point of tearing off all face and going to court, Huang Zhijie indeed couldn't possibly get away with paying only 130,000.

Just Zhang Zhiqiang's medical expenses would be enough for him to drink a pot.

So in the end Huang Zhijie haggled a bit, and finally settled the matter at a compensation amount of 100,000 yuan.

Zhang Shaoping mediated left and right, communicated up and down, not only minimizing Zhang Zhiqiang's losses but also minimizing Huang Zhijie's losses.

The compensation demanded by the victim's family was likewise pressed down to the minimum by him.

The final result was that he, this lawyer, took a bite from all three households.

The Zhang family's lawyer fee for hiring him was 100,000; the victim's family side he ate 100,000; and then from Huang Zhijie's 100,000 compensation, he ate another 100,000.

In this way, handling this case, he earned 300,000.

To say it was easy, it really was quite easy.

But to say it was difficult, it actually was quite difficult, because this kind of thing, ordinary people simply can't pull off.

This requires not only extremely high legal professional competence, but also communication skills, and knowledge of psychology.

These three abilities are all indispensable.

In any case, for the Zhang family, this matter counts as having come to a conclusion.

After reaching a settlement, there was no need to keep wrangling with the victim's family.

The most important thing next is to get Zhang Zhiqiang treatment.

The money in Zhang Zhongtian's hands was already more or less spent.

Yet Zhang Zhiqiang still showed no sign of improvement.

His own cancer treatment also required spending large sums of money.

So in the end he could only sell his BMW car.

Selling the car wasn't enough money, so he could only transfer out the New Era Restaurant.

But, who should this restaurant be transferred to?

Zhang Zhongtian couldn't find a suitable candidate for a while.

Now it's not just the countryside that's declining; even the town's economy is in severe recession.

On top of that, in recent years the state has been strictly cracking down on the unhealthy practice of civil servants eating and drinking with public funds.

So his New Era Restaurant, although backed by the Town Government, has long seen its turnover declining day by day.

Those familiar with this line of work are all unwilling to offer him too high a price.

"What? Lao Liu, you're only willing to give 50,000 yuan in transfer fee?"

Zhang Zhongtian called a peer in the restaurant business, asking for a price; upon learning the other party was only willing to give a 50,000 transfer fee, Zhang Zhongtian immediately darkened his face:

"How can that work? Back when I took over this restaurant from Niu Chunsheng, I spent a full 200,000 in transfer fee! This restaurant is so large, facilities so complete; just those tables and stools, plus the tools in the back kitchen, are worth more than 50,000!"

Zhang Zhongtian felt the other party wasn't sincerely inquiring about the price, so he didn't even want to speak to him anymore.

However Lao Liu said:

"Boss Zhang, you also know it was 'back then'; how can back then be the same as now? Back then how many tables of business did New Era Restaurant do in a day, how many tables does it do now? Times have changed. To tell the truth, even at 50,000 transfer fee I'm afraid I'll lose money; the back kitchen chefs' monthly salaries alone cost a fair bit."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhongtian had no words to say.

He hung up the phone.

Then he went to ask other friends in the catering business, and posted a transfer notice on WeChat Moments, hoping someone sincere would take the initiative to come find him for detailed talks.

What a pity, after waiting several days, no one came to ask.

And those catering friends he actively asked were all uninterested in his shop.

As those catering friends put it, opening a restaurant in town now, how could you earn money? Not losing money would already be burning high incense!

Faced with this situation, Zhang Zhongtian only then realized:

"It seems the times have truly changed..."