Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 411: Chapter 302: Lawyer 2

"Feng, it’s a shame you’re not a real cowboy."

"You’re so handsome, Uncle! Even more handsome than Luke," Fiona added loudly, her little face flushed with excitement, her eyes filled with adoration for this new uncle.

Hearing everyone’s praise, Feng Shan was incredibly pleased. He smugly accepted their flattery, a smile threatening to break free on his face. He turned to look at Xia Li, thoroughly satisfied.

"Get three sets of this outfit for me. I think I’m already in love with it."

Xia Li nodded with a wide grin and picked up a nearby calculator.

Her fingers flew across the keys with a flurry of CLACKS. She quickly tallied up the price, then turned the calculator around and presented it to Feng Shan.

"No problem. One custom handmade Western cowboy outfit is 2,080 US Dollars, but I’ll make it an even 2,000 for you. The revolver and holster are 1,200 US Dollars. That’s 3,200 US Dollars total. Cash or check? We don’t accept wire transfers."

’Only a little over 3,000? Cheap.’

Feng Shan waved his hand dismissively and said deliberately, "Check. Just put it on my tab for now. We can settle up once all the clothes are tallied. If I can’t afford it, I’ll just pawn Yves off on you. How about that?"

"Of course, no problem. I really hope you can’t afford it," Xia Li said, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. She gave Yves a look full of double meaning, one that both responded to Feng Shan’s joke and seemed to hide a special interest in Yves himself.

COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!

Yves suddenly felt his face flush with embarrassment.

He let out a series of coughs and quickly lowered his head, like a child who had done something wrong.

He didn’t dare to meet the eyes of Xia Li or anyone else.

’Wimp!’

Seeing this, Feng Shan shot Yves a look of undisguised contempt, cursing him inwardly.

’This guy was such a badass back in Noiksoth Village, just holding his gun and blasting away.’

’How’d he get so timid, like a little chick? Xia Li just looks at him once and he doesn’t even dare to lift his head.’

’Pathetic.’

RING, RING, RING!

Just then, the clear ringtone of a cell phone sounded from the fitting room.

Feng Shan then remembered that the clothes he had just changed out of were still in the fitting room, his phone in one of the pockets.

He hurried into the fitting room, pulled out his phone, and saw Lawyer Peyton’s number on the screen.

He quickly answered. Lawyer Peyton on the other end didn’t bother with pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"Mr. Feng, I’ve arrived in Baird Town. Where are you now?"

"I’m at..." Feng Shan had just started to speak when he realized he didn’t know the name of Xia Li’s cowboy shop. He turned to Yves, quickly covered the mouthpiece, and whispered, "What’s the name of this shop?"

"The Longhorn Outpost."

Feng Shan nodded, then uncovered the mouthpiece. "I’m at The Longhorn Outpost on the town’s main street."

Lawyer Peyton paused for a moment on the other end, seemingly considering something, then continued, "Alright. If it’s convenient, could you come pick me up? It seems I can’t get a taxi here."

"No problem. Wait at the airport!" Feng Shan said before hanging up. He then looked at Yves. "Can you go pick up Lawyer Peyton?"

"Pick up a lawyer? What lawyer? I didn’t hire a lawyer."

Yves stared at Feng Shan blankly, his mind filled with confusion. He had no idea what was going on or where this lawyer had suddenly come from.

"You didn’t, but I did. Or were you really planning to just kidnap Fiona and sneak her back to the Crown Territory?" Feng Shan retorted irritably. He then turned to Xia Li. "Hey, ma’am, could I borrow your car? The one I rented is out on an errand and hasn’t returned yet."

"Don’t be so formal. I’ll go get them, you guys don’t know the roads," Xia Li said, waving her hand breezily. She grabbed a set of car keys from the counter and walked straight out the door, her departing figure exuding an air of competence.

With only a few men left in the shop, they all just looked at each other, staring blankly, at a loss for words. The atmosphere turned awkward.

Yves scratched his head and spoke sheepishly.

"Boss, you can deduct the lawyer’s fee from my salary!"

"What good is that little salary of yours? This lawyer I hired charges 1,000 US Dollars an hour. It’s been three hours already, so just transfer me 10,000 US Dollars for now."

Feng Shan deliberately curled his lip and said irritably.

Of course, he was just trying to scare Yves; he wouldn’t actually make him pay. Still, it was a fact that lawyers in the United States were generally very expensive.

He said this because he had previously overheard Frank on the phone.

A lawyer of Frank’s caliber had an hourly rate of around 2,000 US Dollars, and that was considered a friendly rate.

For a first-time client, the hourly rate could be even higher.

And since Lawyer Peyton had been recommended by Frank, she certainly wasn’t low-tier. So, Feng Shan figured that cutting the rate in half to 1,000 US Dollars an hour wasn’t an exaggeration.

Director Roland, who was standing nearby, overheard their conversation and couldn’t help but chime in.

"Feng, I asked a friend in Dallas. This Henry Law Firm is very influential in the Western United States, and this civil lawyer, Kalina Peyton, is a real powerhouse. She exclusively handles lawsuits for the wealthy, with a minimum client net worth of fifty million. A few years ago, she was the one who handled the Wildenstein case."

"Oh yeah? What Wildenstein case?" Feng Shan’s interest was piqued, and he asked curiously.

Director Roland took out his phone and Googled information about the Wildenstein divorce case. He read from the screen as he spoke.

"It was the 1999 divorce between the French art dealer Alek Wildenstein and his wife, Jocelyn. Jocelyn received 3.8 billion US Dollars in cash and assets, including a private jet and artwork. And Jocelyn’s attorney was none other than this Kalina Peyton."

"Impressive, right?"

As Director Roland explained the details of the Wildenstein case, he was inwardly marveling at the power of Feng Shan’s connections.

He hadn’t interacted with Frank much. The reason he had come to Alaska in the first place was that he had stumbled upon Feng Shan’s story on Facebook and thought it was interesting enough to be made into a movie.

He had then asked an acquaintance to introduce him to another acquaintance, going through a few connections, and somehow ended up in contact with Frank.

Previously, when his acquaintance had mentioned Frank, they’d only said the man "had some connections" in Alaska. But now, it was clear that was a massive understatement.

With a single phone call, Frank had managed to summon one of the top lawyers in the Western United States, specifically to handle Fiona’s custody case.

That wasn’t something just anyone could do. A lawyer of Lawyer Peyton’s caliber was a heavy hitter in the industry. The cases she normally took involved immense fortunes, handling thorny issues for millionaires and billionaires. To think she would now take on such a minor custody case was astounding.

It just went to show how vast Frank’s network truly was.

*GASP!*

Feng Shan couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath, his eyes wide with an expression of utter disbelief.

"That incredible? What kind of family gets you 3.8 billion US Dollars just for a divorce?"

At the same time, he clicked his tongue in silent amazement. ’I might have a decent amount of assets myself, but compared to them, it’s a world of difference. She made that much just from a divorce... after all my hard work, I probably haven’t even saved up a fraction of that.’

Hearing Feng Shan’s comment, Director Roland had an exasperated expression on his face.

’Is that the main point here?’

’The point isn’t how much money you can get from a divorce, okay?’

’The point is the lawyer, Kalina Peyton!’

’A lawyer of her caliber isn’t someone an ordinary person can afford. Saying her fee is 1,000 US Dollars an hour is probably a low estimate; it’s likely even higher.’

Yves, listening to their conversation from the side, felt his face darken.

He silently calculated his income. ’I work my ass off for a whole month...’

’And the money I make is only enough to pay for five hours of Lawyer Peyton’s time.’

’If this lawsuit drags on for days, or even months, how much would that cost?’

’Even if I sold a kidney, I’m afraid I still couldn’t afford her fees.’

The more he thought about it, the more his anxiety grew. His brow furrowed into a tight knot, his face a mask of worry.

...