Chapter 4

As long as you’re not dead, you’ve got to work.

Early the next morning, Lin Shu dragged a sleepy, yawning Xu Shijia straight to the condiment factory.

Conducting due diligence on a company is like investigating its entire history in detail. You need to review every personnel decision, every business contract, every labor agreement to make sure no potential legal risks are missed.

However, company information—especially their business model and contracts—are trade secrets. As a result, most companies under investigation are reluctant to provide detailed electronic documents. This is why due diligence lawyers must go on-site and review all the paper documents according to the company’s confidentiality requirements. None of the materials are allowed to leave the premises.

Of course, this on-site investigation has its advantages.

First, you can directly inspect the company’s factory and offices, verifying their operations with your own eyes. Second, you can press the company in person for any missing materials.

“Although a company willing to undergo due diligence suggests the owner is open to being acquired, the more issues we uncover, the greater our client’s leverage when negotiating the acquisition price. After all, if your profits are negative every year, you’ve got several labor disputes in arbitration with compensation risks, and you have significant bank debt, the acquisition price will inevitably take a hit.”

Before the trip, Lin Shu had sent a checklist of required due diligence materials to the condiment company, but…

“When the boss directs his staff to provide documents for due diligence, they’re not going to submit everything on our list honestly. He’ll try to hide anything unfavorable, like a homeowner trying to cover up the fact that someone died in the house. If he discloses everything truthfully, he’s afraid the price will drop too much.”

“The ones handling the documents for us are the employees. While the boss might want the acquisition to go through so he can cash out, the employees don’t want any unexpected changes. If the company is acquired, it will likely lead to restructuring, which could result in job transfers or layoffs. So, the employees generally have no motivation to provide the necessary materials.”

“Besides, employees already have enough to worry about with their regular jobs. Helping lawyers with due diligence is extra work, and since they get the same salary regardless, who wants to do extra? Many employees pretend to cooperate with the boss while ignoring the lawyers altogether.”

Although Lin Shu didn’t have high hopes for Xu Shijia’s work ability, given the tight schedule and heavy workload, she still hoped he could help share some of the burden.

Based on Lin Shu’s experience, the materials prepared by the factory were likely just a few scattered documents, and it would require someone dedicated to pushing for more.

On the way to the factory, Lin Shu briefly explained the key points of due diligence to Xu Shijia and assigned him his tasks:

“I’ve already sent you the checklist. When you arrive, follow it and help me push for the materials.”

“That’s all you want me to do?” Xu Shijia was clearly dissatisfied. “That’s not hard at all!”

Lin Shu couldn’t be bothered to respond. What Xu didn’t understand was that reviewing documents is a technical skill. For an experienced due diligence lawyer like Lin Shu, spotting key terms in business contracts or identifying important numbers in financial statements had become second nature.

The hardest part was actually getting the materials.

The technical aspects follow specific rules, and once you master them, the process becomes smooth. However, communicating with people is far more challenging. Every person has a different personality, making the difficulty unpredictable.

The more materials gathered, the more legal risks can be uncovered, and the more comprehensive the due diligence report becomes. On the other hand, when materials are scarce, it’s like trying to cook without ingredients.

As Lin Shu expected, the factory provided very limited materials, which were far from enough to produce a thorough due diligence report.

“I’m going out for a bit,” said Xu Shijia cheerfully, heading out of the room like a butterfly.

Through the glass door, Lin Shu watched him confidently walk over to a group of female employees in the large office area. After exchanging just a few words, the women couldn’t hide their smiles. Even from a distance, Lin Shu could almost sense the affection in their gazes toward Xu Shijia.

This guy… What was he doing?

But before Lin Shu could get too angry, Xu Shijia reentered the meeting room, humming a tune and swinging a key in his hand. “Your task is completed.”

“What?”

“This is the key to the archive room,” Xu Shijia said smugly. “I never miss my target.”

“They said the factory’s original office building was near the warehouse, and most of the physical documents were left in the archive room there. What we’ve been given are just the documents they had on hand after moving here.”

No wonder the provided files were so few!

This guy definitely had a way with women.

Seeing the key in Xu Shijia’s hand, Lin Shu thought, why wait?

“Let’s go get the documents from the archive room!”

**

However, the moment Lin Shu opened the archive room door, her enthusiasm quickly died down.

She immediately understood why the factory employees hadn’t bothered bringing the documents to the meeting room themselves.

It was because the task was nearly impossible.

The archive room was packed with cabinets stuffed full of papers. Documents were scattered across the floor, and piles of them were stacked on the desks. Some were even thrown around in complete disarray.

The factory owner probably knew this and figured that even if the lawyers found the archive room, they wouldn’t be able to sort through all the documents. Feeling confident, he hadn’t even bothered to come out and greet Lin Shu and her team, let alone try to bribe them into giving his company a clean due diligence report.

Most factories were poorly managed, with little concept of organized archiving, but Lin Shu hadn’t expected this condiment factory to be in such chaos.

The office building was now deserted, dark, and eerie. When Lin Shu tried to turn on the lights and air conditioning, she found that the electricity had been cut off.

As soon as she stepped into the archive room, the dust made her cough violently, but that wasn’t even the worst part.

What frustrated her the most was that when she randomly flipped through the materials, she found a complete jumble—meeting minutes, brochures, and spice price lists from various periods—all completely irrelevant.

In just three days, she would have to sift through all this clutter to find the truly valuable information and pinpoint the legal risks.

It wasn’t feasible to move all the materials from the archive room to the better-equipped new office’s meeting room. That would waste time, exhaust manpower, and risk damaging the documents in transit.

So, she would have to work right there in the archive room.

But there was no way Lin Shu could handle all this material on her own. She needed Xu Shijia.

**

“I need to work here to review the materials.”

“Here?!” As soon as Lin Shu said this, Xu Shijia’s face showed clear disbelief. “This place is probably an old factory floor. The ceilings are ridiculously high, there’s no air conditioning or heating, and it’s freezing just standing here. Not to mention the dust—stay here for a few days, and your lungs will be ruined.”

Though he didn’t say anything else, it was obvious that his attitude screamed, “I, Xu Shijia, would rather die than work in a place like this.”

Lin Shu had become a partner at such a young age not just because she was hardworking and competent but also because she was skilled at reading people, managing them, and getting them to work.

She knew exactly how to make Xu Shijia stay.

Xu Shijia might be pampered and a bit of a drama queen, but he wasn’t a bad person. She had seen him snatch a heavy suitcase from an elderly staff member and carry it himself. This showed he had sympathy for the weak, and while he might grumble, deep down, he had a kind heart. People like him usually responded better to soft tactics than hard ones.

He also had a “young master” attitude, which suggested he was used to being praised in his upbringing. He liked being flattered, but too much obvious flattery would annoy him. If you started off bowing and scraping, he would just look down on you.

The key was to praise him in an unexpected way, from an angle where he rarely received acknowledgment.

People like him responded best to a “carrot and stick” approach, with occasional challenges and a bit of vulnerability thrown in to gain sympathy.

“You’ve already completed your task; you’re free to go.”

Lin Shu showed genuine appreciation. “I’m really impressed that you found this place in such a short time. In all my time at my previous law firm, I’ve never worked with someone who communicates as efficiently and effectively as you. You’ve already saved me a lot of time.”

As expected, Xu Shijia was stunned by Lin Shu’s words. After his initial surprise, a look of barely concealed pride appeared on his face.

Lin Shu didn’t give him a chance to respond. Seizing the moment, she continued in an even more sincere tone:

“With your strong abilities, of course I’d want you to stay and help me. Having someone as capable as you makes me confident that we can get through this mountain of documents. But I’m worried the dust here will affect your health. Besides, you’re still so young and just a regular lawyer at the firm. There’s no need to sacrifice yourself like this. You can go back to the new office and finish reviewing the remaining materials there.”

Sure enough, Xu Shijia’s expression turned hesitant and uncertain.

He glanced at Lin Shu. “And what about you? Aren’t you younger than me?”

“Me?” Lin Shu lowered her head and, deliberately softening her voice, said, “I’m fine. My mother passed away when I was young, and my father remarried and started a new family. I was raised by my grandmother, and after she passed, I’ve always had to rely on myself. I’m used to it.”

“Besides, I’m your superior. In times like this, it’s the boss who should take the lead, not the junior staff.”

“I’ll be fine. You can go.”

Lin Shu spoke as casually as possible. While Xu wasn’t looking, she pinched her thigh hard, making her face show the most genuine expression of suppressed pain.

The perfect blend of hidden vulnerability and forced optimism.

Lin Shu bowed her head, signaling that she was ready to bear the burden alone.

One minute later, Xu Shijia hadn’t left.

Five minutes later, he was still there.

Ten minutes later, he cleared his throat and awkwardly said, “Well, I do have strong skills, and the materials in the new office are easy for me. You’ve had it tough, and this is a lot of material to go through, so I’ll stay and help.”

As Lin Shu had predicted, Xu Shijia’s expressions went from surprise to pride, to embarrassment, and finally to a reluctant sense of duty. In the end, he stayed.

**

Originally, Lin Shu only hoped that Xu Shijia would stay to help sort and organize the documents. She didn’t expect him to actually identify issues during the review. But to her surprise, once he started working, he was more competent than she’d thought.

What she had initially considered “unusable waste” now seemed like it could be transformed into something valuable.

However, Xu Shijia’s enthusiasm for the job was short-lived, as expected.

Soon after staying, regret began to show on his face.

But since he had just made a show of staying to help, he couldn’t back out immediately without losing face, so he grudgingly kept working.

Lin Shu predicted he’d last no more than an hour.

As expected, about an hour later, Xu stood up, clearly preparing to speak, warming up for his escape.

Just as he was about to open his mouth, Lin Shu seized the moment, acting as if she hadn’t noticed his body language, and smiled brightly at him.

“Xu Shijia, I didn’t realize you had such strong professional skills. I’m lucky to have you helping me—you’ve already identified several major legal risks, which is a huge help to our client.”

Sure enough, Xu looked a bit awkward and replied, “It’s only natural.”

After saying this, he took a deep breath and sat back down.

The effect of this compliment, though strong, would only last about half an hour.

And as expected, half an hour later, Xu Shijia showed signs of preparing to leave again. Lin Shu quickly administered another “booster shot” to keep him working.

“Xu Shijia, you keep surprising me! I didn’t expect you to be so hardworking. Even in such poor conditions, you’ve been persistent in your work. It’s impressive and shows real dedication. I believe with your potential, if you keep this up, you’ll definitely make it onto the list of top ten outstanding young lawyers in the future.”

Hearing this, Xu Shijia reacted like someone with an embarrassing problem, forced to suppress his complaints. After an internal struggle, he gave up the idea of “seeking treatment” and stayed.

Lin Shu saw the forced smile on his face and heard him say, “It’s nothing.”

He sat back down and continued working.

From that point on, Lin Shu reviewed materials while keeping a close eye on Xu Shijia’s status. Like a busy doctor, she gave him just enough encouragement—like a shot of adrenaline—to keep him from “failing completely,” ensuring he kept going.

“Xu Shijia, I realized I only praised Tie Niu and Xuhui earlier. That was my oversight.”

“Now I see that you’re the real soul of our team. Just like how the future of a nation lies with its youth, the future of our team lies with its youngest member—you.”

“I’m so glad I brought you on this trip.”

…

Like a patient who had resolved to give up, Xu Shijia had made up his mind several times to “let go,” but Lin Shu, the ever-determined doctor, repeatedly pulled him back from the brink, refusing to let him surrender.

**

Lin Shu’s tactics worked wonders. In the end, it seemed like Xu Shijia had accepted his fate.

He finally settled down to work quietly with Lin Shu in the archive room, seriously focusing on his tasks.

When Lin Shu glanced at the materials he had reviewed, she noticed his sticky notes flagged potential risks and legal loopholes with impressive precision and thoroughness.

At that moment, Lin Shu looked at his well-defined profile and felt a sense of pride, like a farmer seeing a pig finally ready for market.

The due diligence work was progressing smoothly, so Lin Shu could finally spare some attention for her other tasks back at the law firm.

She had left for this trip in a rush to secure the case, without fully handing off her ongoing work. Worried that things would be chaotic in her absence, she was pleasantly surprised to find that Wang Tie Niu had handled the urgent client inquiries perfectly.

Tie Niu detailed the client’s inquiry in his email and copied Lin Shu on the final response he sent. When Lin Shu glanced at the legal advice he provided, it was well-reasoned and thoroughly considered.

In fact, Lin Shu hadn’t even had time to assign tasks to the team or specifically ask Tie Niu to handle these urgent inquiries, yet he took the initiative to step up and manage them.

“Lin Par, this morning I received an urgent legal consultation call from Chengyang Technology. They discovered that one of their executives had stolen a company design and was secretly producing it ahead of them. I’ve already advised them on how to preserve and secure the evidence over the phone. Given the urgency of the situation, I acted first and reported after. I hope you don’t mind…”

How could Lin Shu mind?

She was more than pleased.

This deserved praise!

As they say, practice makes perfect.

Opportunities always come to those who are prepared.

And didn’t she just use the perfect line earlier?

Lin Shu immediately adjusted the same words she had used on Xu Shijia, tweaking them just enough for this context. It fit perfectly!

Meanwhile, Xu Shijia was exhausted. After finally finishing the last business contract and sorting out a complicated purchase and sales scenario, he let out a long breath of relief.

He felt like a prisoner just released after serving his sentence.

He couldn’t understand how his once effortless life had become so bleak and full of struggle.

He needed to tell Lin Shu that he really had to leave.

But Lin Shu had just stepped out.

Xu Shijia searched around and eventually found her outside on the open grounds of the abandoned office building, where she was on the phone.

He hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but because the reception in the abandoned office was poor, Lin Shu was speaking loudly, and every word of the conversation reached Xu Shijia’s ears clearly:

“Tie Niu, I didn’t expect your professional abilities to be this solid. I’m so lucky to have your help; it’s thanks to you that I can focus on this business trip without any worries.”

Lin Shu’s voice was filled with emotion, and her words poured out as if they were heartfelt, uncontainable.

“You keep surprising me! Despite not being assigned this work, you stepped up on your own, completing everything efficiently and to a high standard. Truly dedicated! With your potential, I believe that if you continue to work hard, you’ll definitely make it onto the list of top ten outstanding young lawyers.”

“You’re going to be the soul of our team from now on!”

…

Xu Shijia stood there expressionless, letting the cold wind, carrying the scent of spices, blow harshly against his face.

Suddenly, he understood the meaning of the saying: A weak rope always snaps at the thinnest part, and misfortune always finds those who are already suffering.