Chapter 42 Please Begin Your Performance

Looking at Larson, who wore an expression of righteous indignation and looked the very embodiment of justice, Li Dongling would almost certainly have been fooled had he not checked up on this litigator's background before coming.

Larson was one of New York's most notorious vulture lawyers. When it came to his courtroom skills, he might not have been the absolute best, but he was certainly the one with the most underhanded tactics and the least amount of moral baseline. In order to win a lawsuit, he was audacious enough to hire private investigators to tail and dig up dirt on prosecutors and judges, using the media to exert pressure. He was truly fearless.

As long as he could win the lawsuit and secure those US dollars, Larson dared to do anything. To him, principles were measured in greenbacks; as long as the risks were not high enough to get him killed, he was genuinely willing to take the job!

Stepping into Larson's lavishly decorated office, adorned with numerous famous paintings and antiques, and observing the receptionist and assistant whose relationships with Larson were clearly far from professional, Li Dongling could easily tell how extravagant Larson's lifestyle was. All of this required a steady stream of US dollars to maintain.

"Care for a smoke? This is the genuine Cuban article!"

Just like the receptionist, Larson's assistant—whose looks and figure were exceptionally striking—finished serving coffee to the group and left. Larson then pulled out a cigar box and asked Li Dongling.

Seeing that Li Dongling did not accept, Larson put the cigar away, sat back in his custom luxury executive chair, and probed Li Dongling, "Li, I still don't know where you gentlemen hail from..."

"China!"

"Oh!"

Larson let out an exclamation, his small eyes darting around as he calculated something in his mind. "Ah, that is a mysterious and special country. I've seen it on the Discovery Channel—the Great Wall, pandas..."

Li Dongling had no inclination to shoot the breeze with Larson. Going in circles and playing logic games with a litigator of this caliber was practically walking straight into the firing line; these people made their living with their tongues. Li Dongling had always believed one should never pit their hobby against someone else's livelihood.

"Dongling High-Tech is going to sue Microsoft. Will you take this case?"

"Microsoft?!"

Hearing Li Dongling lay his cards on the table, Larson dropped his act and directly let out a curse. "Shit, I knew those two million dollars wouldn't be easy to earn!"

Witnessing this scene, Yao Luoying's illusion of the elite legal professional instantly shattered. In America, lawyers were always portrayed as elites representing justice, but now all those halos were gone.

"That's Microsoft! Even suing the New York Police Department or the municipal office would give us a higher win rate than suing Microsoft!" Larson said with some frustration, then looked at Li Dongling. "I need to remind you, this lawsuit might not be winnable, even though I desperately want those two million dollars..."

Saying this to Li Dongling wasn't because Larson had any professional ethics. If it were an ordinary person, he would have started sweet-talking and swindling them long ago. But in this era, anyone who could pull out two million dollars just to fund a lawsuit—regardless of where Li Dongling came from—was someone Larson had to evaluate carefully to weigh the consequences of swallowing that money.

Lawyering was an industry driven by reputation and fame. If he dared to embezzle these two million today, it might look like a score, but afterwards, clients from Asia and Asian communities, as well as the plutocrats of America, would undoubtedly blacklist him.

Furthermore, ordinary lawyers generally refused cases that seemed destined to lose. The bigger the name, the more they cherished their feathers; a single defeat could cause their market value to plummet drastically.

"This lawsuit must be won, but it doesn't necessarily have to be won in a courtroom!"

Li Dongling looked at Larson. He didn't expect Larson to engage in eloquent rhetoric in the courtroom or single-handedly take down Microsoft's entire legal department. If Larson actually had that kind of ability, he could try running for a federal judgeship.

Hearing this, Larson's small eyes suddenly flashed with light. "It seems, Li, you already have a plan?!"

"I need you, Larson, to bring out what you do best. We don't have much time—only two months, or maybe even just one month. We don't necessarily have to force Microsoft to admit defeat; making them bow their heads is enough. Dongling High-Tech can accept..."

"An out-of-court settlement!" Larson blurted out excitedly. He already understood what Li Dongling was aiming for, and this happened to be his greatest expertise: fabricating dirt, whipping up public opinion, putting pressure on Microsoft, and then forcing an out-of-court settlement to collect compensation. He could dream up a dozen ways to execute this routine blindfolded.

"Not enough, not enough. Relying solely on the media won't be enough to make Microsoft bow!" Larson could no longer sit still; he stood up and began pacing back and forth.

"What if we also incite IBM, Lotus Development, and others to join in..."

"Still not enough," Larson interrupted Li Dongling bluntly. "You don't understand America at all. Do you know how many Capitol Hill lawmakers are backing a giant like Microsoft? Do you know how much public relations spending Microsoft forks out every year?! Without a life-or-death crisis, they will never admit defeat!"

"The Federal Department of Justice!" Larson suddenly stopped in his tracks, his gaze burning intensely.

Hearing this, Yao Luoying was startled. She hadn't expected Larson to be audacious enough to target the United States Department of Justice.

Laughing heartily, Larson noticed Li Dongling's contemplative expression and Yao Luoying's worried look, and said with a smile, "My beautiful lady, please don't worry. We don't actually need the Department of Justice to step into the ring; we just need to make Microsoft feel the crisis!"

"However, Li..." Larson's expression turned stern again, mixed with a hint of gritted teeth. "We need to renegotiate the terms of this lawsuit. If we win the case, I want eighty percent of the settlement payout. That's the industry standard!"

Larson had just calculated that if they were truly going to launch a massive campaign, the two million dollars Li Dongling offered wouldn't even scratch the surface of the expenses. He might even have to dip into his own pocket, ending up with zero profit and a net loss after a whole lawsuit. For a vulture lawyer, if word got out, people would laugh their heads off.

"Impossible!"

Li Dongling snapped back to reality. He felt that what Larson had suggested earlier actually had a genuine chance of succeeding. Microsoft might not fear its competitors, but would it fear an antitrust investigation initiated by the Department of Justice?

Keeping his composure, Li Dongling fired back without missing a beat, "Out of the question. You have no idea how much Dongling High-Tech has lost because of this case. If we can't secure the compensation, Dongling High-Tech might go bankrupt right here and now. If you take that much of the payout, Dongling High-Tech might as well drop this lawsuit altogether!"

"Seventy percent, not a penny less. Do you know how many connections I have to mobilize for this case? Reporters, television stations, media outlets, the prosecutor's office, the Department of Justice—they all require public relations. You can't buy those things with just US dollars," Larson countered, counting on his fingers.

After a few more minutes of haggling, Li Dongling and Larson agreed to split the settlement payout fifty-fifty if they won the lawsuit, and neither pressed the issue further.

"I will draft the retainer agreement right now!" Larson told Li Dongling, preparing to dive into the fight. If he could win this lawsuit, he wouldn't just secure a massive pile of cash; he would also vault himself into the ranks of America's elite lawyers!

"This matter will require your cooperation, Li. After I file the lawsuit with the New York court, I'll arrange for you to give an interview on a New York television station. This exclusive interview is crucial; it might even determine the success or failure of the entire endeavor!"

After signing the retainer agreement, Larson immediately began coordinating with Li Dongling. No matter how Larson manipulated the operations behind the scenes, he still needed the "aggrieved party" to cooperate.

Sometimes, if the victim played the pitiful card on television, they could garner immense sympathy and support, creating public pressure that forced the federal police, federal prosecutors, federal judges, and federal lawmakers to face tremendous scrutiny. For the sake of votes, those powerful figures in America would mostly choose to compromise when confronted with public opinion.

"I know!" Li Dongling said. His current status was different from the American companies suppressed by Microsoft; to win public support, he had to put on a compelling performance.

"Today, I officially represent Dongling High-Tech in filing a lawsuit against Microsoft. This is a company originating from Asia, and many people might not understand why I chose to take on this case. But once you understand this company and its founder, you will understand the significance of it all. Microsoft is strangling dreams; it is turning into that vicious dragon, and brave souls must step forward to stop its atrocities..."

Standing at the entrance of the New York Manhattan Federal Courthouse, before a sparse crowd of reporters, Larson delivered an impassioned speech. These reporters and media personnel had all been paid to attend.

After today, the newspapers represented by these reporters would run stories on it. As for the immediate impact, Larson wasn't expecting an overnight miracle; he just needed to spread the word and make some ripples first.

"Dongling High-Tech actually sued us?!"

When Spencer and Bonas received the news—learning that Li Dongling had truly traveled thousands of miles across the Pacific to sue Microsoft—both of them were completely stunned.

"To be honest, I really want to meet the founder of that Dongling High-Tech," Spencer said with a wry smile, sounding as though he had heard something utterly absurd. "If he had come to Seattle to negotiate with us, I might have compensated his company with enough dollars for him to live as a billionaire in that backward, savage country for the rest of his life. But now..."

Spencer's expression turned somewhat irritated. "Then let's litigate. Get the legal department in here. I'm going to show him Microsoft's true power!"

Dressed in a sharp suit, his hair slicked back with a rare touch of hair wax, Li Dongling stood backstage at the New York television station as Yao Luoying carefully straightened his tie one last time.

Looking at the handsome and refined Li Dongling before her, Yao Luoying's heart skipped a beat. If anyone claimed Li Dongling was an American top elite, or a newcomer auditioning for a Hollywood film crew, nobody would have doubted it.

"Li, are you ready? You're almost up..."

Larson, returning backstage, caught sight of Li Dongling in this getup and couldn't help feeling a tinge of masculine envy.

"You only have half an hour!" Larson reminded Li Dongling urgently.