Chapter 5

Dean was trapped in the corner, his stomach churning at the words coming from Leroy Tam. He forced himself to stay calm, resisting the wave of disgust threatening to overwhelm him. Trying to turn his body slightly, he sought to distance himself from Leroy Tam’s unnerving proximity. "Mr. Tam," he said with forced composure, "Please show some respect. I’m not interested in discussing anything else right now. If you’d like to continue the conversation about the case, I can inform Linda, and we can return to the client meeting room."

But Leroy Tam had no intention of backing down. His hand reached for Dean’s waist, fingers grazing lightly, intent on brushing across his back. Even as Dean tried to evade the touch, Leroy Tam didn’t pull away—instead, he grew bolder, his fingers skimming over Dean’s sides, each movement more unsettling than the last. Dean felt revulsion rising within him but fought to suppress his emotions, striving to stay composed.

"You really are the type who can only attract attention with these... methods," Leroy Tam’s voice dripped with condescension and teasing as his fingers traced a more deliberate path across Dean’s body, his touch laden with unmistakable aggression.

Just then, the door to one of the bathroom stalls was flung open, and Damon Greyson stepped into the scene. His presence immediately shifted the atmosphere. Clad in a dark suit, Damon exuded an air of authority, his sharp eyes cold and disdainful. His mere arrival seemed to cast a heavy, oppressive weight over the space, turning the bathroom into a tense, almost suffocating place.

Damon swept his gaze over the room, his expression unreadable, before walking toward the sink area, seemingly indifferent. But beneath the surface, his eyes burned with a quiet fury. His voice, when he spoke, was filled with biting sarcasm and an unmistakable edge of command. "Leroy Tam, you really have no sense of occasion, do you?"

Leroy Tam’s expression shifted, the arrogance on his face faltering for the first time. He slowly withdrew his hand from Dean, though his discomfort was only momentary. Still, he held onto his defiance, offering a sneer as he attempted to regain his composure. "Even with you here, I’ll do whatever I please," he sneered, his posture still challenging.

Before Dean could react, Leroy Tam grabbed him, attempting to pull him close in an unwanted, lecherous move. Panic surged within Dean, and he immediately sought help, his heart racing. Damon’s eyes darkened, his stance hardening as he surged forward with brute force. In one swift motion, he yanked Leroy Tam away and threw him aside, his voice a cold, cutting warning. "This is the consequence of your shameless behavior in a public space. It’s revolting."

Damon let out a cold sneer, his anger burning more intensely in his eyes. Without hesitation, he threw a punch, landing it squarely on Leroy Tam’s face. The sound of the impact was a dull thud, and Leroy Tam let out a muffled grunt, his face contorting in pain as he staggered back. His body swayed for a moment before he hastily retreated from the bathroom, his footsteps quick and disordered, as though his very pride had been shattered.

Damon stood at the doorway of the bathroom, his gaze cold and filled with disdain as he watched Leroy Tam flee. When the man was finally out of sight, Damon turned toward Dean, his voice dripping with sarcasm and a hint of contempt. "If I hadn't shown up, would you have 'cooperated' with him?"

Dean’s face paled slightly, though he bristled at the tone in Damon’s words. He struggled to keep his composure, forcing himself to reply evenly, "Thank you for your help. I'll be careful."

Damon shot him a brief, icy glance, clearly unimpressed by the response. "It seems you really do need someone to protect you from people like that. What do you say? Want to join the Dragon Gang?"

Dean didn’t answer directly. Instead, he repeated his earlier words, clearly trying to avoid a confrontation. "Thank you for your help. I’ll be careful."

Damon wasn’t deterred by the repetition. He leaned in a little closer, his voice still laced with that same challenge. "So, is it fear or disgust that's keeping you from joining?"

"I’m not afraid. I don’t dislike you, I just… don’t like it. You guys are unreasonable," Dean muttered, his gaze downcast as he avoided Damon’s piercing eyes. His voice barely rose above a whisper, but when he repeated the phrase a third time, he finally looked up—only to find Damon standing so close that their faces were less than ten centimeters apart.

Damon’s cold gaze locked with his, and for a moment, the air between them seemed to thicken. "I hope you remember what happened today," Damon said, his voice low and threatening. "Don’t put yourself in a position like that again. You won’t always have someone like me showing up to 'save' you. Especially not someone you clearly don’t like." With that, Damon turned and left, leaving Dean standing in the bathroom, his heart still racing, the weight of the encounter heavy on his shoulders.

In the days that followed, Dean, alongside Linda, dove deeper into investigating Leroy Tam and his team, carefully analyzing the legal complexities of their situation. Despite the unsettling harassment from Leroy Tam, Dean maintained his professionalism. He worked closely with Linda, engaging in detailed discussions with Leroy Tam’s team and formulating a comprehensive mediation strategy.

The day of the mediation finally arrived. Dean walked into the mediation room brimming with confidence. He knew this wasn’t just a test of his professional abilities, but also a challenge to his mental resilience. Throughout the meeting, he wielded his legal knowledge and strategies with precision, engaging in a fierce exchange with the opposing lawyers, all while demonstrating his sharp negotiation skills.

Though the demands from the mob were high, Dean managed to steer the conversation with patience and clever tactics, keeping the case within reasonable boundaries. After a tense but calculated back-and-forth, they finally reached a settlement—a mediation agreement that both sides could accept, with a compensation sum of 3.8 million.

The outcome of the case brought a collective sigh of relief, especially for Dean. He knew that solving this difficult issue was more than just closing a chapter—it had been a significant moment of professional growth. Linda praised his performance, encouraging him to maintain his professionalism and enthusiasm. But beneath her praise, there lingered a trace of doubt. Despite the occasional confrontations during the meeting, the resolution had come too swiftly, too smoothly—almost too good to be true.

After the mediation, Dean thought the matter had been resolved once and for all. Though the case had been challenging and had weighed heavily on him emotionally, he felt a sense of accomplishment. He had worked hard, and now it was time to relax and prepare for the next challenge. But the calm didn’t last long.

One morning, just a week later, Dean arrived at the office to find an urgent letter from the firm’s higher-ups waiting for him. The letter informed him that Leroy Tam had filed a serious complaint against him, accusing Dean of fabricating evidence and giving erroneous legal advice, which had allegedly led to an unjustly high settlement. Dean felt the blood drain from his face as his heart sank to the pit of his stomach. His mind went blank.

His hands trembled uncontrollably as he sat at his desk, staring at the letter in a daze. A wave of fury and helplessness surged through him. He had poured countless hours into this case, fighting for a fair resolution, only to be falsely accused in such a cruel and baseless manner. The betrayal left him feeling utterly defeated and enraged.

When Linda heard the news, she immediately took action, stepping in to defend Dean and explaining the situation to the higher-ups. She requested ample time to fully investigate the matter, hoping to clear Dean’s name. However, Dean knew the reality. He wasn’t sure whether the explanation would be accepted or understood. Especially since he knew that Leroy Tam’s animosity ran deep—he likely had no intention of letting this go easily.

To make matters worse, Leroy Tam’s malice didn’t stop there. Not only had he lodged a complaint with the firm’s leadership, but he had also gone a step further, filing a retaliatory accusation with the Bar Association. He claimed that Dean had an inappropriate relationship with the other party involved in the mediation—Damon Greyson. This new accusation was a devastating blow to Dean’s reputation, further ensnaring him in a web of public embarrassment and professional jeopardy.

Dean’s mind was in turmoil, as if a violent storm were raging within him. His confidence and professional ethics were being severely questioned, leaving him in a state of deep anxiety and panic. He understood that Leroy Tam’s actions weren’t just personal attacks—they were a direct threat to his career. The weight of this malicious slander was almost unbearable. Dean felt a surge of fury, but he knew that letting anger guide his actions wouldn’t solve anything. The only way forward was to stay calm and face the storm with composure.

Sitting in his office, Dean felt an isolation and helplessness that he had never experienced before. His heart felt hollow, his mind consumed with worry and confusion about the uncertain future. He knew that he had to clear his name—both for his own sake and to protect Linda, who might be dragged down by the consequences of this attack. Yet, the battle ahead seemed daunting, as the malicious defamation threatened to unravel everything he had worked so hard to build.

A few days after receiving the complaint, Linda called him into her office for a meeting. Dean sat across from her, his expression grim, anxiety weighing heavily on him. Linda looked at him with a mixture of concern and resolve in her eyes.

“Dean,” Linda began, her voice steady but grave, “we need to talk about the current situation.”

Dean nodded, his gaze heavy as he met Linda’s eyes.

Linda continued, her voice calm but resolute, "Leroy Tam’s demands are crystal clear: either he gets a hefty compensation, or you resign. It’s obvious he’s trying to play dirty."