Zachary Lawson asked the witness, Jack Brown, in a calm and controlled manner, "Witness Jack Brown, how can you prove that the legal representative of my client is lying when you can't even recall what he said at the time?"
Jack Brown hesitated and then said, "I remember now. He said that selling the patent-use rights for five million dollars would help pay off the debt to the bank, so he thought it was a good deal and told me to sign the contract with Sunny Medical."
"Did he say this to your face?" Zachary asked.
"Yes, in person."
"When exactly did you sign the contract?"
"I'm not sure about the exact date," Jack Brown replied.
Zachary Lawson responded, "The
Jack Brown answered, "If it's written on the contract, it must be correct."
Zachary Lawson continued, "So, the
"Yes, that's right. Once he agreed, I went ahead and signed the contract with Sunny Medical."
"Alright, no further questions," Zachary Lawson said, his expression steady. He turned to the judge. "Your Honor, members of the jury, we submit a new piece of evidence for your consideration."
The judge nodded, "Permission granted."
Zachary signaled to his assistant, who clicked to display the new evidence. The large screen in the courtroom showed a surveillance video from a camera positioned outside the general manager's office at Hengyue Technology. The video captured employees working, but the key piece of evidence was the audio.
A faint voice could be heard in the video: "Tom, listen up, you've got to hear this! Brooks from Sunny Medical has promised me that if we sell them the patent for the smart wheelchair, they'll give us $8 million, or $5 million for a 10-year licensing deal. This is a golden opportunity!"
That voice was clearly Jack Brown's.
Then Tom Wilson's voice followed: "I already told you, right? Verve Capital signed an agreement with us, and the contract clearly says that the smart wheelchair patent is exclusive to Hengyue. It can't be used for anything else, and it can't be resold."
"Tom, come on, you're being way too rigid about this,"Jack Brown replied. "Sunny Medical is offering us real money. This is a no-brainer, man. We can still take the $5 million and just license it to them. Heck, even Li over at Verve might go for it. Why can't you just talk to them and work something out?"
"Brother-in-law, let's not bring this up again," Tom said. "I've already promised President Li, and I'm sticking to my word. Besides, even though she's a woman, President Li is very capable. She's had many successful investments, and I trust her."
At that point, the receptionist knocked on the door. "Mr. Wilson, the folks from Verve Capital are here."
"Alright, I'm coming." Tom left the office and went to the meeting room.
After Tom left, Jack Brown waited for about ten minutes before finally leaving the office.
The video stopped there.
Zachary Lawson addressed the court: "This is the surveillance footage from outside the general manager's office at Hengyue Technology on October 28th last year. Based on the audio, it's clear that the legal representative of my client never agreed to transfer the patent or grant the right to use it. Furthermore, on that day, after leaving the office, Mr. Wilson Tom went to meet with Verve Capital's representatives and had no further contact with Jack Brown. It would have been impossible for him to have given instructions for Jack Brown to sign the contract." Zachary looked directly at Jack Brown. "Clearly, the testimony from the witness is fabricated. Tom Wilson, the legal representative of our client, has consistently opposed transferring the patent rights. However, despite this opposition, Jack Brown took it upon himself to sign the
With this conclusive evidence, there was no room for rebuttal.
The court session ended, and Hengyue Technology emerged victorious.
After the trial, Tom Wilson and Grace Li followed Zachary Lawson out of the courthouse.
The trial had been a success, and Zachary had skillfully set up his strategy, leading the witness and the plaintiff's lawyer into traps, ultimately catching them off-guard.
Tom Wilson sighed in relief. "Attorney Lawson, I can't thank you enough. Without you, I really wouldn't have known how to defend myself."
Zachary replied, "It was my pleasure. Our chances of winning were already strong."
"Still, thank you," Tom Wilson said. "It's lunchtime. Would you be interested in grabbing a bite together?"
Zachary checked his watch. "Next time, maybe. I've got another lunch meeting with a client."
"Alright, I won't keep you. Thanks again, Attorney Lawson."
After Zachary left, Tom Wilson turned to Grace Li. "Grace Li, thank you too."
Grace smiled, "Why so grateful?"
"I really should thank you. You helped Hengyue Technology get through this rough patch."
Grace rolled her eyes. "I'm getting tired of hearing that."
"But seriously," Tom Wilson continued, "the surveillance video in the courtroom made me realize that I was right to trust you and the direction we've been working toward."
"Why's that?"
Grace smiled, "You trust me so much. How could I let you down, right?"
Tom Wilson chuckled, a slight blush creeping up his face. He was embarrassed.
**
After Hengyue Technology's lawsuit wrapped up, Grace Li was finally able to focus more on other projects. But Tom Wilson still liked to check in with her for advice on the day-to-day operations at Hengyue. Every time, Grace Li gave thoughtful suggestions, guiding him step-by-step to become a better leader for the company.
As the days went by, Grace Li's schedule was packed, but fulfilling. She still had regular video calls with Aiden Thompson, and occasionally, he would make a quick trip to New York. He often had layovers there, so he'd stop by to see her before leaving—just long enough to catch up before heading out again.
In early March, news spread quickly about Silverstone Group's strategic partnership with the unicorn AI company, Meco. As a result, Silverstone Group's stock, which had been down for two months, shot up, with a promising upward trend. Aiden sent Grace Li a recording of a conversation with his father. Rex Thompson's voice had a hint of sarcasm: "For your hard work, I'll cut it down to six months. Just six." Aiden replied, "Thanks, Dad." Though the conversation was brief, Grace Li knew it had been edited, cutting out the less harmonious parts. Still, she was happy. With the previous six-month reduction already in place, this meant her time apart from Aiden had been shortened by a whole year.
Two months after Hengyue Technology launched its smart wheelchair, the company secured nearly fifty million dollars in orders. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many users praising it as more user-friendly than some of the big-name brands. Grace Li planned to raise funds in an A-round later in the year, with the money going toward expanding both online and offline sales channels and scaling up production. With the strong reputation Hengyue's smart wheelchair had built, securing A-round funding was almost a sure thing.
Recently, Matthew White arranged a dinner to catch up. Over the meal, they talked about their companies' progress and Hengyue Technology's development. Matthew seemed pleased with how things were going and made sure to tell Grace Li to reach out if she found any exciting new projects.
As Grace Li took on more projects, her workload grew. So, she hired a university student, Michael Garcia, who would be graduating in June, to handle basic administrative tasks. Michael Garcia was a cheerful, responsible guy who always got the job done. Whenever Grace Li attended trade shows, if she showed interest in a product, he was quick to take photos and make notes, always one step ahead.
Ryan and Olivia started dating. They officially became a couple on Valentine's Day, but Grace Li didn't find out until March when she saw them holding hands while shopping. Ryan, ever the confident one, said, "Remember how long you and Aiden kept things quiet?" Grace Li smiled, realizing he had a point. Ryan and Olivia had probably kept their relationship a secret to avoid drama at work. Grace Li had no problem with office romances as long as they didn't interfere with work, but Ryan and Olivia both agreed that it was best to keep things low-key at the office. They were careful to keep their relationship discreet and out of the spotlight.