CH 53.2

Cai Zhen was still incoherent with emotion. "Just when I had fled back to Rong City, I got a call from Jin Jianhua. He hadn't had a drop of alcohol, but over the phone he said that he had drunk too much. He apologized, and then asked if I could keep it quiet and offered me whatever I wanted in recompense..."

When Ning Wan heard this, she asked almost without thinking, "Did you record that?"

"I didn't..." Cai Zhen replied dejectedly. "It was the very first time I had encountered anything like this. I had no idea what to do, my hands and feet were shaking, I didn't even think about getting proof. In hindsight, he was very careful about what he said on the phone. He didn't mention what he did at all, just said that he was in the wrong and that he hoped I wouldn't take offense and so on..."

It wasn't the first time Jin Jianhua had done something like this, yet he was still at large. Furthermore, he himself was a lawyer. Of course he was a wily old fox. Even if Cai Zhen had recorded him, she might not have been able to prove anything.

But if he had asked Cai Zhen what she wanted in recompense...

Ning Wan had a bad feeling in her heart. "He asked you what he could do in recompense. Did you say anything?"

As long as she hadn't asked, everything was still alright. But once she asked, Cai Zhen's tears began to fall. She began sobbing, angry and desperate.

Judging from her reaction, Ning Wan had an idea of what had happened. "Did he imply that since he was the one in the wrong, he would compensate you with money and lead you into asking him for it? But he himself never brought up the words?"

Stunned, Cai Zhen nodded. "Sister Ning Wan, did this happen to you too?"

"No, I didn't encounter that," Ning Wan sighed, already having guessed Jin Jianhua's game. "When he said what he did, you must have been influenced by his words and asked for money, correct?"

"I didn't want it at first, but it was like he brainwashed me the longer he talked, saying that he couldn't be at ease until he had made up for his wrong, and that he would keep calling me otherwise; I was afraid that he would keep pestering me, and after all his persuasion I felt that I really did have a reason to be compensated, so I said..."

"How much did you ask for?"

"10,000 yuan."

Depending on the local economy, one could file a case for extortion starting at 1,000 to 3,000 yuan. No matter what, 10,000 yuan was more than enough.

Weeping, Cai Zhen explained, "Afterward I regretted it. When I saw how troublesome the money would be, I quickly returned him that 10,000 yuan."

"But he insisted that it was extortion, didn't he?"

She nodded her head. "Yes. It was also then that I discovered that even though I hadn't recorded it myself, Jin Jianhua had recorded the phone call and he had trimmed and edited it very skillfully. It sounded completely like I had approached him asking for hush money..."

"He said to me that even if I gave him back the money, it was already extortion, and dealing with extortion requires the understanding of the other party. So long as he doesn't let the matter go, I might even end up with a criminal record..."

"So, afraid, you resolved to leave Rong City and stay away from him completely. This is why you immediately ended your internship, refused Zhengyuan Law's offer, and plan to flee back to your hometown?"

Cai Zhen wiped away her tears and nodded. "He said that he was a broad-minded man who wouldn't care to expose the matter so long as I made amends. But between the lines, what he meant was that he was going to use it as blackmail on me. If I stayed at Zhengyuan Institute or even in Rong City, he might keep harassing me and who knows what else would happen..."

So that was the truth of the matter. Ning Wan tried to suppress her inner rage from bursting out on the spot. She had already known that Jin Jianhua was a man with evil intentions, but she hadn't known that he could be so shameless.

Cai Zhen was still a student who hadn't even graduated yet. Jin Jianhua had relied on his position as her superior and the fact that he knew more about the law and its loopholes to not only sexually harass her, but even to set her up calmly afterward and push her step by step into a trap.

Ning Wan had been in the community for a long time now and had seen all kinds of things. Oftentimes, a little carelessness could easily lead to the law characterizing the victim as the offender.

Jin Jianhua had hinted to Cai Zhen about money, but never actually said the words himself because he had actually been waiting for Cai Zhen to ask him to compensate her with money. Afterward, trapped under the charges of extortion, she would be his to manipulate.

Because morally Cai Zhen was without a doubt the victim and no one would take Jin Jianhua's side against hers if the word got out, it was easy for her to let her guard down under great agitation and feel like she really did have a reason to be compensated. And for this sort of thing, an apology was naturally worthless. Compensation was of course measured by money, and so when she had asked for money, she had never even seen the trap she was falling into.

However, being in the right morally and legally were two different things. A little carelessness would lead to you falling into a trap, and in the end not only would you receive any compensation, but you would also be in a terrible, unreasonable fix thanks to the charge of extortion. In the end, you might even have to beg the person who sexually harassed you for forgiveness in order to avoid charges.

Cai Zhen, a college student, and Jin Jianhua, an old fox in law, weren't in the same league at all. Ning Wan could just see how he had drawn her in, step by step. From his calm and skillful handling of the matter, one could see that she herself had been far from being his first victim, and that Cai Zhen would not be the last.

Although Cai Zhen had little experience in the vicious and malicious ways of the world, she was after all a law student. She had figured out what was happening soon after, but by then her situation had been completely irreparable. Now she blamed herself and regretted, "It was all my own stupidity. I studied law for four years, yet at the critical moment now only was I not able to protect myself with it, but I even shot myself in the foot. Jin Jianhua is too tough for me to handle, so I've got to hide... but I've been thinking that even if I stay in Rong City, he's still got that recording with him and he might come after me again.. so..."

"At first I had been thinking of exposing him, but I didn't record anything so I have no proof. And even if I expose him on Weibo exposure, so long as he puts out that recording public opinion will surely turn against me for being a gold digger who just deliberately seduced him just for money..."

Cai Zhen's tears welled up once more. "It's my own fault. If I had flatly refused any compensation back then, I wouldn't be in this awkward situation. At worst, I could have struggled and fought him. I wouldn't be under his thumb to such a degree..."

"You were in the right. What's wrong with a victim asking for compensation? You deserve it, and your demand was justified. You just didn't pay attention to negotiating in a manner that would have protected yourself." Ning Wan handed Cai Zhen a tissue. "It doesn't matter if the victim isn't perfect. The one in the wrong is the perpetrator."

This sentence had come out from Fu Zheng's mouth not long ago. Now, in a change of scene, Ning Wan had become the comforter, saying the same words as he had, hoping to give a victim strength. For a moment, Ning Wan felt that no matter what and when she was doing something, Fu Zheng was there, standing behind her, neither too dazzling nor so excellent as to make one feel like he was untouchable. Even though he was just an intern, he somehow made one feel like he was indescribably gentle, formidable and reliable, so much so that Ning Wan often thought of him when she was confused.

He had become very important, even more important than Ning Wan had imagined.

However, comforting Cai Zhen was useless. After all, although she herself could believe in Cai Zhen because they had experienced the same thing, because there was no proof not many people would stand by her if she made the issue public, not to mention Jin Jianhua having that recording in hand...

After having cried her heart out, Cai Zhen seemed to calm down a great deal. "Thank you for comforting me, Sister Ning Wan," she said, looking at Ning Wan in gratitude. "I never dared tell anyone about this before. I feel much better now. Ahh, if I hadn't been so stupid..."

"Have you still decided to leave Rong City?"

Cai Zhen once again looked bleak when she mentioned the topic. "There's no helping it..."

"Don't rush to end the internship, or to refuse the offer to join Zhengyuan. Give me a few days. I might not only be able to clear your name, but also expose Jin Jianhua's true colours."

Although Cai Zhen looked grateful, it was obvious that she had already given up hope. "Sister Ning Wan, it's already good enough that you believe me."

But even though Cai Zhen herself had given up, Ning Wan didn't want to give in so easily this time. Even if it was late, the things that she should have done in the past still had to be done.