Hai Kuan was having a guess in his office. He was his family lawyer, James Huang.
" Is there any progress?" Hai Kuan asked.
James Huang sighed.
"I had a conversation with the judge. He says, there is no chance for Xiao Zhan to win the case. Even if there is, the chance is veeeery thin," James Huang gestured the very thin words with his fingers.
"But why is that?"
"It's due to his background. First, he's unmarried, and he's not Xiao Ren Liang biological father. Second, no other blood relatives family to support and testify for him. Third, he has no promising job to raise Xiao Ren Liang and support her well being. 4th, he is a gangster former who has been jailed for his crime. 5th, he's a gay, where our country has a strict regulation toward them." James Huang told Hai Kuan the information details.
Now Hai Kuan's turns to sigh. He played with the pen in his hand.
"Is there another option for us to win against Liu YaBin?"
James Huang nodded.
"I can do my best. We can use his background too, to against him. But!"
James Huang didn't continue his sentence.
Hai Kuan stared at him curiously. "But?"
"The custody of Xiao Ren Liang will be offered to the foster parents who eligible to adopt her. So, the court will definitely takes Ah Liang away from Xiao Zhan and place her in the children welfare community until she gets her foster parents."
Hai Kuan exhaled the heavy breath he's been holding. He rubbed his face in desperation.
James Huang squeezed his shoulder, supportively.
"I promise, we will try our best to find the best solution for this case," he consoling Hai Kuan.
Hai Kuan looked at him and nodded.
💮💮💮💮💮
The day for Xiao Zhan to fight against Liu YaBin in the court has come. Their case has been reopened after almost 4 years Xiao Zhan acted as Ah Liang guardian.
Xiao Zhan sat in the front row seat, guided by James Huang at his left side and Hai Kuan at his right side. While Yibo sat next to Hai Kuan.
"Xiao Zhan... Anything happen, please don't take it out of your rage which can make things worse. Let me help you. I will do my best to not let Liu YaBin wins. Ok?" James Huang warned Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan has a nervous face on right now. He only nodded in response. Yibo reached Xiao Zhan's hand which was holding the wooden banner in front tightly. Xiao Zhan turned his head to his right side and saw Yibo looking at him fondly.
"Everything will be fine..." Yibo said, convincing his bae. He squeezed Zhan's hand.
Xiao Zhan nodded. Yibo retrieved his hand back. Xiao Zhan averted his eyes to the another row of the seat over James Huang's back. There was Liu YaBin with his lawyer. Xiao Zhan gritted his teeth in anger remembering that his sister suffered because of him, and he has abandoned Ah Liang for years when she even hasn't born yet. And now here he is, claiming Ah Liang as his daughter and want to take her away from him.
Liu YaBin felt he:s being watched. He turned his head to see Xiao Zhan stared at him with so much hatred. Liu YaBin smirked, mockingly. Then he mouthed Xiao Zhan "Hello, Faggot".
It triggered Xiao Zhan nerve. He almost got up in rage if Hai Kuan didn't hold his shoulder and asked him to sit again. James Huang glared at him, thought Xiao Zhan was a big trouble.
"Behave, Xiao Zhan! Behave!" He scolded Xiao Zhan , quietly.
Xiao Zhan inhaled the breath and exhaled it.
The audiences in the court stood up to salute (I don't know the other word . My apology) the judge.
The judge sat on his honorific chair. He waved his hand, wishing the audiences to sit back.
"Good morning, gentleman...! And ladies. Now we are opening a case to Xiao Ren Liang's custody. I'm Judge Wang Yi Zhou. Shall we begin?" The judge said.
James Huang got up. He straightened his coat before he walked forward. He bowed to the judge, greeted him, then he turned around to face the audiences.
"Good morning, Your Honor. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I'm James Huang, the lawyer of Sean Xiao Zhan." He introduced himself. Then he continued," My client, Sean Xiao Zhan is a guardian of Xiao Ren Liang for almost four years, after his sister, Ms. Xiao Ying, the mother of Xiao Ren Liang, passed away when her daughter was only 2 years old. That time, no one claimed Ah Liang as their family member. Not even the family from her biological father, Mr. Liu YaBin... Except Mr. Xiao Zhan, her very uncle. So, he has been take care of Ah Liang since then. And today, we are here because her biological father who's gone missing since she was still in her mother's belly, came to claim her and want to take her away from her guardian. My client has done his best to raise his niece and gives her the best he can do. Remembering he was alone and inexperience in look after a child, he was a gangster before, he is more eligible to get the custody of Ah Liang than her own father who has abandoned her! And that time, when his lover was 5months pregnant, he placed her as a bet for his addiction of gambling, if Mr. XIAO Zhan, as her own brother, didn't come to rescue. Is he eligible enough to be her own daughter's guardian? Thank you, Your Honor!"
James Huang got back to his previous seat. He whispering something in Xiao Zhan's ear.
"The defendant of Mr. liu YaBin,please come forward." The court spokesman called.
The lawyer of Liu YaBin came forward. He did the same ritual as James Huang. He cleared his throat before he speaks.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Fang Yu Chen, Mr. liu YaBin:s lawyer. Here, Mr. Liu is claiming his own daughter because he remorseful about his wrongdoing in the past. So he wants to withdrawal it by claim and take care of Xiao Ren Liang. Like Mr. Xiao Zhan who is changed from a ruthless gangster to a normal civilian, it also happened to Mr. liu. And he has more right because he is Xiao Ren Liang's biological father, than Mr. Xiao Zhan. He has a steady job, family and relatives to support him, unlike Mr. Xiao Zhan. So Xiao Ren Liang wellbeing is more applicable if the custody yaken over by Mr. liu. And he is a married man. While Mr. Xiao Zhan is a gay who currently is dating another man!" The lawyer ranted. He paused and smirked.
The audiences in the room gasped hearing the last sentence from Fang Yu Chen. They turned their gaze to Xiao Zhan who lowered his head and gripped on the banner in front of him. Hai Kuan hugged Xiao Zhan by shoulders and rubbed it to calmed him.
"And we are all know!" Fang Yu Chen continued," LGBT is taboo in our country. Government has made the regulation for this kind of community. Is it good to raise a child with such environment? And we're all know how the LGBT's behaviour. It can misleads the children to the wrong path!"
"Objection, Your Honor!" James Huang snapped. Judge opened his hand, allows him to speak.
"My client is a gay. But he has raised her niece very well. I:ve been met her and did my observation. And she behave very well and nothing is misleading her to the wrong path. Even my client is a gay, but he never wish his niece to follow him to be the same. He has worked very hard to be a good parent for her and make sure she has anything that she needs!" James Huang spoke with high voice.
"But my client is the father! Of course he has more right on his own daughter! He has a family now and is well maintained!"
"But he is still a gambler and drunkard. What if he desperately in a debt and decides to put his daughter as bet as he did to his girlfriend a few years back???"
"Objection declined!" Said the judge.
And the fight between two lawyers continued. Until Judge Wang Yi Zhou ended it, and asked the ourt's audiences to decide.
After about 25 minutes of discussion, they came to one conclusion.
The spokesman took a piece of paper from one of the audience and passed it to the judge. The judge accepted and read it. After that he forward his gaze to the two prosecutors and read the court's final decision.
"From now on, Mr. Sean Xiao Zhan is no longer Xiao Ren Liang's guardian!" The judge said.
At that very moment, Xiao Zhan broke into tears. Yibo pulled him over and hugged him tightly.
"I'm sorry, Zhan ge..."
"I lost Ah Liang, Wang ye... I lost her..."
While in the other side, Liu YaBin and his lawyer smirked full of victory.
"And the custody of Xiao Liang will be given to a foster parents who eligible to adopt her. Mr. Liu YaBin is not eligible to it. He is out of the count. And, temporarily, Xiao Ren Liang will be in care by the children government welfare community, until she gets a family who is eligible to adopt her. Thank you. The case is closed!"
Judge Wang Yi Zhou hit the hammer on the table coaster (😂😂😂 i dont know what the name of a small round thing on judge's table for the hammer to hit on).
Hearing the Judge final judgement, the eagerness on Liu YaBin disappeared in no time.
Xiao Zhan couldn't stand up. He felt his whole body has broken. His heart was ache so much.
"Xiao Zhan... Ah Liang will be fine. You don't worry... She'll find a good family for her to live with," said Hai Kuan.
"They'll take her away from me... I lost her. What do I do now without her? She's the only family left that I have! And now I have to let her go! I can't, Hai Kuan Ge!"
Hai Kuan sighed. He squeezed Xiao Zhan's shoulder.
"We will do the best for her. Trust me!" Hai Kuan convinced him.
"We're lost , Hai Kuan Ge... We lost Ah Liang, too..!" Xiao Zhan ranted.
"Xiao Zhan! Just wait and see! We are not.lost yet! And we are not going to lost!" James Huang scolded him.
Liu YaBin came to their seats. He stood in front of Xiao Zhan.
"Hey, Xiao Zhan! We both lost! Why re you crying? At least I didn't win the case over you, right?" Liu YaBin spoke,mockingly.
Xiao Zhan lifted his head and look at Liu YaBin with hatred. Suddenly he got up and attack him. The three men with Xiao Zhan quickly held Xiao Zhan, while Liu YaBin being held by his lawyer.
Xiao Zhan pulled Liu YaBin by his necktie.
'You're asshole! It:s because of you! Every bad luck in my family caused by you, bastard! Why did you come and want to take my niece after you abandoned him for years??" Xiao Zhan hissed.
Liu YaBin smirked. He pulled his body backward and took his necktie from Xiao Zhan:s grip. He dusted it off.
"Because I:m his father, Xiao Zhan. And I don't want my daughter being in care and raise by a fag like you!" Liu YaBin said with so much hatred. Then he walked away. Followed by his lawyer.
"Hey, Fucker! I'm not finished with you!" Xiao Zhan shouted.
"Xiao Zhan! Mind your language! It's the court! " James Huang warned him.
"But I do!" Liu YaBin replied to Xiao Zhan, without turning back.
The four men behind him only watched them gone.