In the presence of the lawyer, Zhao Lan was berated to the point of being unable to speak, bottling up all her grievances.
After Zhang Guodong had his fill of yelling, he made a decision.
"Regarding the compensation, I hope the lawyer can accompany me to negotiate. Please also bring a recording pen, so if anything goes wrong during our discussion, we'll have evidence. It's a measure of last resort."
The lawyer nodded in agreement.
Zhang Guo'er's medical expenses were still outstanding at the hospital, so the matter of compensation was urgent.
Thus, Zhang Guodong, accompanied by the lawyer, went to Tang Xiaomin's home.
Upon arrival, Zhang Guodong addressed Zhang Meiyu directly.
"Zhang Meiyu, Guo'er is your niece after all. Tang Xiaomin beat her so severely; you should be responsible for the medical expenses."
"You are also from the Zhang family. How can you bully us like this and still have the face to meet our ancestors in the future? Your second uncle in heaven would surely scold you."
Zhang Guodong remained relatively calm, resorting to emotional blackmail with a clear objective.
Ultimately, they had all grown up in the same household.
Zhang Meiyu was furious at the time, but afterward, upon learning that Zhang Guo'er's injuries risked permanent disfigurement, she could barely eat.
Even Zhang Guodong arrived leaning on a cane.
Although they were the ones who had inflicted the beating, Zhang Meiyu maintained an arrogant demeanor, showing no signs of remorse.
"Your daughter was the one provoking and instigating trouble with Xiaomin. She got what she deserved. As a father, you failed to discipline your own daughter, and now you dare to come here demanding compensation after she's been beaten? Where do you get your nerve?"
"If you can't teach her, then others will do it for you."
"You..."
Zhang Guodong was stunned by Zhang Meiyu's remarks.
Everyone said Zhang Meiyu had good fortune but a bad temper.
Now that she was truly facing trouble, he realized just how unreasonable she was.
"Even if Guo'er was in the wrong, she was hospitalized after being beaten by Tang Xiaomin. Shouldn't you pay the medical expenses?"
It was reasonable and proper to pay for damages caused by assault.
Zhang Meiyu was not particularly short of money and could afford to pay some medical expenses.
However, the thought of Zhang Guo'er using Tang Xiaomin's abandonment to upset her made Zhang Meiyu utterly displeased, let alone paying compensation.
She remained silent, but the dismissive expression on her face said it all.
Seeing this, Zhang Guodong knew that negotiations were futile.
If soft tactics didn't work, he would have to resort to force.
"Meiyu, we are cousins after all. It wouldn't look good for us to take a fight between children to court, only to make outsiders laugh at us. There's no need for that."
"As long as you pay the money, we'll drop this matter. You don't want to lose face in court, do you?"
Lose face?
Upon hearing the word "lose face," Zhang Meiyu truly became unafraid.
Hadn't she experienced enough embarrassment on her journey thus far? She didn't mind adding one more instance.
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, I am discussing with you, informing you," Zhang Guodong replied.
"Give me five million. If you refuse, I will have no choice but to sue Tang Xiaomin in court according to procedure."
"At that time, it won't just be about compensation. Tang Xiaomin will also face criminal charges and go to jail."
"Five million is not an insurmountable sum for you. Why must we make things so unpleasant? Don't you agree?"
Zhang Guodong's words were hard to refuse.
At this point, the lawyer accompanying Zhang Guodong also took the opportunity to educate Zhang Meiyu on the law.
"According to the criminal law, if Tang Xiaomin beat Zhang Guo'er to the point of second-degree disability, the sentence, depending on the circumstances, can range from three to ten years, with a maximum of life imprisonment or the death penalty. Tang Xiaomin is still a university student, and imprisonment would tarnish her life and affect her forever."
"For her, a private settlement is the best option. As her mother, we hope you will consider this carefully."
Faced with the lawyer's analysis, Zhang Meiyu hesitated.
Tang Xiaomin was so young; sending her to jail was absolutely out of the question.
In that case, was she really left with no choice but to settle privately and pay compensation?
She wasn't a mother who was so attached to money that she wouldn't spend it to solve her daughter's problems.
However, demanding five million at once, with Zhang Guodong trying to extort her during her hardship, made Zhang Meiyu deeply resentful.
"Five million, isn't that too much?"
Zhang Meiyu said with a cold laugh.
"Since the lawyer is here, why don't you also enlighten us on the law? In criminal law, what is the maximum compensation for a death?"
Her question immediately made the lawyer's expression turn serious.
Indeed, she was a famous rich lady from Shanghai; it wouldn't be easy to extort money from her during a time of crisis.
Zhang Guodong, unaware of the underlying implications, urged the lawyer when he saw him hesitate, "Lawyer Li, tell her how much compensation can be awarded in the event of a death, so she knows where she stands."
Lawyer Li thought to himself that he had been too hasty, not anticipating Zhang Meiyu's question beforehand, and found himself in a difficult position.
"Well... currently Zhang Guo'er is only second-degree disabled and has passed the critical stage after medical treatment."
"However, even so, Zhang Guo'er is at risk of disfigurement, and the subsequent rehabilitation and psychological trauma she may suffer are immeasurable..."
Zhang Meiyu impatiently interrupted Lawyer Li.
"Stop deflecting. Just tell me, what is the maximum compensation for a death?"
Zhang Guodong also said, "Since she wants to know, then tell her."
Lawyer Li hesitated for a moment before saying reluctantly,
"According to the highest compensation standard for aviation accidents, the maximum is around 1 million yuan. In other cases of death, the highest compensation is also around a million yuan."
"What!"
Zhang Guodong's anger flared immediately. He stood up abruptly, not even using his cane.
"How can this be? How can a life be worth so little?"
This was far beyond Zhang Guodong's expectations.
At this moment, Zhang Meiyu smiled triumphantly.
"You heard it too. These are the legal standards; the maximum compensation is only this much."
"Besides, Zhang Guo'er was only beaten to second-degree disability. Even if this goes to court, the compensation would be at most a hundred thousand yuan."
"How about this, I'll compensate you with two hundred thousand yuan, and we'll call it even."
The drastic difference between five million and two hundred thousand was unacceptable to Zhang Guodong.
"No, I disagree."
"Five million, not a penny less, and I will not let you go. I will sue you!"
Suing was something that only scared timid people.
Zhang Meiyu had weathered many storms in her life; she was not afraid.
"Zhang Guodong, don't try to scare me with lawsuits. If you have the guts, then go ahead and sue."
"I'll hire a capable legal team to represent me fully, and I'll cooperate with the court during the hearing. It's no more trouble than a shopping trip."
"Ultimately, Zhang Guo'er was the one who incited the disturbance. It's not certain who will win or lose."
Zhang Meiyu was completely unmoved by either threats or persuasion.
For a moment, Zhang Guodong was furious but utterly helpless against her.