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Chapter 110: Good Deeds Bring Good Rewards, Willing to Help Others
When Johnson left Lin Qi's house, his feelings and attitude towards Lin Qi became extremely complicated.
Previously, Lin Qi had given him some money, which he checked and found to be twenty thousand bucks. This was not a small amount of money, and Lin Qi's reason at the time was quite clever, saying it was an opportunity for him to take care of Michael's family.
This reason lessened Johnson's dislike for Lin Qi to some extent. Regardless of how he convinced himself, the issues between Lin Qi and Michael did not escalate further. Instead, Lin Qi chose to take a step back and provided money to settle Michael's family after his sentencing.
He was not a good person, nor was he someone decent, but for some reason, people would find it hard to openly hate him. There was some resentment, but not much.
Moreover, the whole issue stemmed from Michael himself. In the media's eyes, Lin Qi had always been a victim.
The solution this time was actually brought up by Michael himself. He was already in prison, and his sentence wasn't short either. He was mentally prepared for it.
In prison, he met a self-taught lawyer cellmate who had been imprisoned for minor reasons. He self-studied law with the intention of obtaining a lawyer's license upon release, or at least ensuring he wouldn't end up back in prison for trivial matters.
Perhaps because they both felt like victims of injustice, Michael and his cellmate discussed these matters. The cellmate suggested that since Michael was already in prison, why let his child suffer alongside him? He proposed that if he took the blame for Michael Junior's crimes, there was a good chance his child would still have a bright future.
With this idea in mind, Michael contacted Johnson.
However, because he was held in a prison outside the Sabin City area to avoid potential revenge from inmates who might recognize him as someone with a license, what should have been a simple matter became complicated.
Investigations and legal proceedings initiated by prisoners turning themselves in were more complicated than those initiated by ordinary citizens. There were some things to arrange, and the expenses were not insignificant. They needed to prove the court's judgment was wrong, which was essentially challenging the judiciary.
Even if Michael admitted to instructing Michael Junior to confess to crimes he hadn't committed, the Department of Justice might not acknowledge his act of turning himself in. This would essentially tell the public that the court reached conclusions based solely on testimony without verifying the facts, which was not a good precedent.
So even if Michael wanted to turn himself in while in prison, it was a complicated matter. Eventually, Johnson had to use the money Lin Qi gave him.
With Michael's savings in the bank, they managed to gather fifty-five thousand bucks. After making all the necessary arrangements, the situation finally began to change.
At the same time, an intern staff member was dismissed due to negligence and other reasons.
Some procedures were still pending on Michael Junior's side. He would be released from prison this afternoon, which was a good thing, but also a troublesome one.
They had run out of money. Michael's savings were depleted, Lin Qi's money was gone, and Director Johnson had also contributed some of his own money.
Michael's wife had no work experience and was naturally not capable of working. She couldn't support herself and her child.
Furthermore, Michael Junior might need to transfer to another school, possibly in another city, which would incur significant expenses. This already broken family was finding it difficult to hold on.
Director Johnson was a good person, but being good didn't mean he had no limits. He could use some of his own money to help Michael and his family, but he couldn't endlessly provide for them.
He did feel somewhat guilty towards Michael. After all, he was the one who ultimately decided to give up on Michael. But guilt couldn't be an excuse for helping these people without conditions. Besides, he had his own family and children to take care of. His children had children, and he needed money to live.
After retiring, losing his main source of income, pension insurance could only make his life relatively comfortable. But issues like medical funds still needed money to solve. He had to save up some money.
Any illness could destroy a middle-class family. That was why any presidential candidate in the Bayler Federation who claimed to have a solution to the healthcare problem would gain people's support.
People really couldn't afford to get sick. Even though this country seemed so wealthy, people truly couldn't afford medical treatment.
This led to Director Johnson needing someone to extend a helping hand to them. At first, he considered asking the tax bureau to donate money, but later abandoned the idea.
Regardless of his decision to abandon Michael, just after Michael was labeled a criminal suspect, the betrayal from his colleagues and subordinates created an irreconcilable rift between them.
No matter who influenced their decisions, one fact remained: they would never be able to reconcile.
Forcing these people to lower their heads and donate money to Michael by leveraging his position as the director could ultimately result in Michael being despised and hated by those who might have initially felt some guilt, and it might also lead to resentment towards himself from them.
In the end, he focused on Lin Qi and successfully obtained the money.
It was not a small sum of money. Glancing at the check, it was again twenty thousand bucks. If they were thrifty, this money would be enough to last for one to two years.
He also believed that as long as he asked, Lin Qi would provide the money again. This made him have a very complex and conflicting feeling towards Lin Qi.
He should hate this criminal, but he couldn't bring himself to hate him. It was complicated and contradictory...
After receiving the money, Director Johnson immediately went to the bank. Since it was a transfer check, it needed to go through a transfer process.
Director Johnson naturally realized that Lin Qi issued the transfer check as a means of leaving a trace for security.
Silently gazing at an account that belonged to him but bore a name that wasn't his, with an extra twenty thousand bucks, Director Johnson's heart was somewhat conflicted. He withdrew five hundred bucks, slipped it into his pocket, and then went to meet Michael's wife.
They were going to pick up Michael Junior from prison this afternoon and then have a meal together while discussing Michael Junior's future arrangements.
Not long after, Director Johnson leaned against the car with a cigarette in hand, contemplating. At this moment, Michael's wife walked out of the house.
He glanced up and immediately stubbed out the cigarette, going forward to greet her.
At this moment, Michael's wife exuded a special beauty. She had put on a beautiful dress to welcome Michael Junior back, but the recent string of blows had taken a toll on her spirit, making her complexion very pale.
However, the prospect of welcoming a family member back seemed to have lifted her spirits slightly from her dejection, and a faint blush of frail beauty appeared on her face.
Perhaps Director Johnson didn't quite appreciate this kind of beauty, but he could sense the woman's helplessness, as well as her need for assistance.
He opened the car door for Michael's wife to sit in the front passenger seat, making it easier for them to talk.
After all, looking into each other's eyes while speaking was a polite gesture. It would be impolite to make her sit in the back seat and only communicate through the rearview mirror.
The car soon started moving, and as Director Johnson drove, he kept his eyes on the road while reaching into his pocket for the money he had withdrawn from the bank, passing it over.
"I know the current situation is very difficult. I can help you a bit for now. This is living expenses, and I'll figure out a way to get Michael Junior's transfer fees."
Michael's wife didn't respond immediately. Director Johnson glanced at the road ahead, slightly slowing down the car, then turned his head to look at the woman, directly handing her the money, "I don't know what you'll think, but you have to understand, the child is innocent. You have to give him hope."
Sometimes, money represents hope. It's ironic, yet realistic.
After a moment of silence, Michael's wife took the money, neatly arranged it, and placed it in her purse. With a barely audible "thank you," she expressed her gratitude.
Director Johnson smiled and continued to drive seriously. They didn't mention lunch, but they would go for lunch together after picking up Michael Junior.
The car soon stopped outside the regional prison, and after Director Johnson helped Michael's wife sign some documents, they anxiously waited for Michael Junior's arrival.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, in this anxious process, Michael's wife tightly held Director Johnson's hand, and neither of them seemed to notice it.
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