After the New Year's Eve dinner, Shichen Li went out to play poker with friends, while William Li and Grace Li stayed home to watch some TV with their mom, Huiyun Liang.
Around 9 PM, Grace Li's phone rang with a video call request—it was from Aiden Thompson.
She stood up and walked into a room to answer the call. Seeing Grace Li leave, Huiyun Liang waved to William Li. "William, come here."
William Li sat down next to his mom. "What's up?"
Huiyun Liang, still thinking about Aiden Thompson, asked, "Is your sister's boyfriend really the head of a big company?"
"Not exactly the head, he's the son of the owner."
"Is their company really that big?"
"It's one of the top companies in the LA business scene."
Huiyun Liang was stunned. "That impressive?"
"Yeah," William Li said. "I even tried to get an interview there once, but I didn't make it."
Huiyun Liang was both excited and worried. It was hard for a mother not to feel a little proud that her daughter had caught the eye of the son of a big corporate family, but she also knew their family background couldn't compare. She couldn't help but think, if their family were wealthy and her son successful and handsome, would they easily accept a daughter-in-law who was five years older and from an ordinary family?
This thought made her feel a little bitter. It seemed that her daughter, after finally finding someone to love, had ended up with someone whose background was so much better. They had been together for over a year now, yet there was no talk of marriage. She figured that the guy probably had no plans to marry her daughter.
The next day, the family went to look at some houses. Grace Li followed behind them, listening to the realtor enthusiastically giving his pitch.
She had already expressed her opposition to William Li buying a house, but her opinion seemed to carry little weight. If she said too much, her parents would just think she was meddling. Honestly, it wasn't her problem.
Right now, she was busy with her startup and wasn't planning to contribute financially. If her family wanted to buy a house and could afford it, then let them go ahead.
During the house tour, Grace Li received a call from Tom Wilson.
"Grace Li, Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year!" Grace Li replied.
"I'm calling not just to wish you a happy New Year, but also to share some good news."
Grace Li was curious. "What good news?"
"I got word that after Jack Brown went to Vietnam, he was tricked by someone in the same business and ended up in Cambodia, getting involved with a fraud ring. That fraud group was busted by both the Chinese and Cambodian authorities, and he's been arrested. He'll probably be deported soon."
In just a few sentences, Grace Li could already imagine how Jack Brown had been living these past few months since he fled. "He totally deserves it."
"This increases the chances of us winning the lawsuit."
"By the way, have you told Mr. Lawson?"
Tom Wilson said, "Not yet. It's vacation time, and I didn't want to disturb him."
Grace Li smiled. "It's fine. Just mention it to him briefly, so he knows what's going on."
"Alright, I'll shoot him a message later."
"Okay."
**
The lawsuit between Hengyue Technology and Sunny Medical for infringement was scheduled for trial on February 17th, which coincidentally fell on the Lantern Festival. While there was some festive atmosphere in the Chinese community of New York, the courtroom remained serious and tense. Grace Li arrived early in the morning at the New York State Supreme Court in Lower Manhattan to attend the trial.
Once the trial started, Zachary Lawson, the defense attorney, was impeccably dressed in a well-tailored suit and remained calm and composed throughout the proceedings. In contrast, the opposing lawyer appeared more aggressive, constantly waving documents in an attempt to dominate the atmosphere.
The plaintiff insisted that Hengyue Technology had committed fraud and breached the contract, causing significant financial loss, and they demanded a large compensation. The plaintiff's lawyer was quite passionate in his arguments, occasionally raising his voice in frustration.
Zachary Lawson, however, confidently countered by explaining that it was Jack Brown's personal action, not Hengyue Technology, that had signed the "Patent License Agreement." His voice was steady and powerful, echoing with professionalism and confidence in the courtroom.
Grace Li was fully focused throughout the trial. It was her first time observing such a formal U.S. courtroom trial. The legal process here was different from what she was used to in China. The procedures were more complex, with various rules and legal terms she found hard to follow. The whole process felt like a rollercoaster ride, full of ups and downs.
The trial had been going on for about half an hour, and the confrontation between both sides during the fact-finding stage was especially intense.
Zachary Lawson, sitting at the defense table, turned to the plaintiff and asked, "May I ask the plaintiff, when negotiating the
The plaintiff's lawyer replied, "No, we've always been in contact with Jack Brown from Hengyue Technology. He is the vice president of the company, and his actions represent those of Hengyue Technology. Also, our contract bears the official seal of Hengyue Technology, which fully demonstrates that this was the company's action."
Zachary Lawson responded firmly, "The plaintiff has insisted that Jack Brown's actions were those of the company. However, please note that Jack Brown is not the legal representative of the company, and his personal actions cannot represent the company."
The plaintiff's lawyer countered, "Although Jack Brown's actions may not represent the company, the
Zachary Lawson calmly replied, "The plaintiff has been emphasizing the official seal. However, the official seal has always been in the hands of our legal representative. According to his statement, he has never stamped a
The judge turned to the plaintiff, "Does the plaintiff have any rebuttal?"
The plaintiff's lawyer said, "Your Honor, we believe the defendant is maliciously fabricating facts to shirk its responsibilities. We request that the witness, Jack Brown, be called to testify."
After Jack Brown was deported back to the U.S. and detained in a New York detention center for suspected fraud, he was brought to court as a witness. He was escorted by two police officers into the courtroom, looking a bit nervous.
Once Jack Brown was on the stand, the plaintiff's lawyer quickly asked him a few questions. Jack Brown adamantly insisted that he had signed the
Zachary Lawson then stood up, "Your Honor, may I ask the witness a few questions?"
The judge granted permission, and Zachary Lawson asked, "May I ask the witness, Jack Brown, on which day did you discuss the transfer of the patent-use rights with the legal representative of my client?"
Jack Brown replied, "It's been so long. I don't remember."
"Can't you remember? Or is it that you never discussed it with the legal representative of my client at all?"
"Of course I did. I just forgot the specific date."
"Then let me help you recall. According to the testimony of the legal representative of my client, on October 28th last year, you mentioned to him that the plaintiff wanted to purchase the patent rights of the intelligent wheelchair independently developed by my client's legal representative for eight million dollars, or to purchase the right to use this intelligent wheelchair patent for five million dollars. Is this true?"
Jack Brown hesitated but then confirmed, "Yes, that's the day. I discussed it with him that day."
"Did he agree?"
"He agreed. Otherwise, how would I dare to sign the contract?"
Zachary Lawson continued, "Then how did he agree? Please repeat the situation at that time."
Jack Brown said, "I don't really remember the details. Anyway, he agreed."
Tom Wilson then rebutted, "No, I didn't agree. I objected from the beginning to the end. I never expected that you would sign the contract with them privately."
Jack Brown feigned innocence, "Tom, you stamped the official seal. Don't lie!"
Tom Wilson's face turned red with frustration, but he took a deep breath and refrained from responding further after the judge intervened.