The discovery of the hidden clause in the footer.
Shengda’s failure to mention the service fee for three months, followed by the timing of their surprise invoice.
Their method of unilaterally applying payments to create an overdue balance.
And Huaxuan Technology’s compliance red-line mechanism.
After he finished speaking, the group on the call fell silent for a few seconds.
Then, Chen Ruihua was the first to speak.
"From a legal standpoint, the key issue here is that footer clause."
"If they added it unilaterally when they sent the stamped version back to you, and you didn’t notice it when you affixed your seal, then the validity of the clause itself is debatable."
"The crucial part is the exact procedure when the contract was signed. Did you send the purchase order to Shengda first, and then review and affix your seal after they sent it back stamped? Or did you just stamp the version they sent back directly?"
Li Dong turned to look at Li Qin.
Li Qin thought for a moment, then said in a small voice,
"I think... I think they sent it back, and I just stamped it directly..."
Chen Ruihua grunted in acknowledgment.
"If you didn’t compare the returned version page by page and just stamped it, then from an evidentiary perspective, it’s very difficult to directly claim the other party forged the clause."
"However..."
"From a contract law perspective, if this clause was embedded using an extremely small font in an unconventional location, and if the other party never mentioned it or made any attempt to collect this service fee during the subsequent three months of fulfillment, then they have, in effect, tacitly agreed that this clause would not be used as a basis for settlement."
"To suddenly produce an invoice and assert their rights now is a classic violation of the principle of good faith and fair dealing."
Professor Zhou Li’an then pointed out the crux of the matter.
"To put it bluntly, Shengda doesn’t have a leg to stand on financially."
"Without your signature, their unilateral changes to the ledger have no legal effect whatsoever."
"We have the bank records. As long as the amount of money paid matches the contract, they can’t just arbitrarily claim payments for goods were for service fees."
"Where can the hair grow if there is no skin? If the accounting is fake, then that ’Notice of Overdue Payment’ is naturally a joke."
"You need to do three things right now, quickly."
"First, compare the original contract draft with the signed copy. Focus on checking the metadata of the electronic documents to see the modification times. Confirm whether they secretly added that footer clause."
"Second, compile your bank statements and create a detailed list of transactions. Solidify your evidence that all payments were made in full and on time."
"Third, submit a formal written appeal directly to Huaxuan’s audit department. Bring the evidence and state it plainly: the accounts don’t match up, and this is entirely a dispute manufactured by Shengda. It’s not that Dongyang Hardware is refusing to pay."
Li Dong nodded repeatedly as he listened.
’They’re professionals, all right.’
’One broke the problem down from a legal perspective, while the other provided a solution from a financial and auditing angle. The two approaches corroborated each other, laying out a crystal-clear method for handling the whole affair.’
Beside him, Li Qin was stunned into silence.
The principle of good faith and fair dealing, the legal validity of payment application order, comparing electronic document metadata...
She had never heard of any of it.
She suddenly felt that she really wasn’t suited to be the financial director anymore.
Especially as Dongyang Hardware Processing Factory grew larger and Li Yang went away for technical training with the core supply chain... The company would be dealing with higher-level counterparts and facing an increasingly complex business environment in the future.
’Can someone like me, who started out as a supermarket stocker, really handle it?’
A wave of discouragement inevitably washed over her.
The call continued for another ten minutes or so.
Professors Chen Ruihua and Zhou Li’an went over the potential subsequent legal procedures, key points for presenting evidence, and important considerations for communicating with Huaxuan’s audit department in detail.
Li Dong filed away every piece of advice in his Memory Palace.
Finally, just before they hung up, Liu Ruochuan chimed in with a specific comment.
"Li Dong, remember to come to me next time you need something."
"Don’t go bothering your teacher Tian Gang. He’s busy."
Li Dong’s mouth twitched. He quickly said he understood.
The call ended.
Li Dong glanced at his mother.
Li Qin was clearly not in a good state.
She kept her head down, not saying a word.
Li Dong walked over and sat down beside her.
"Mom."
His tone was much softer now.
"Everyone has to learn."
"I’ll find some good teachers for you later. We can get you up to speed on the fundamentals, like financial management and contract review. It’ll be fine."
Li Qin forced herself to rally her spirits and nodded.
"So now... we just do what those two professors said?"
"Don’t you worry about that." Li Dong stood up.
"Leave it to me. Just take these next few days to enjoy yourself in the Capital City. Don’t think about all this."
Li Qin looked at her son.
His gaze and tone were no longer those of a nineteen-year-old college student.
Li Qin nodded.
"Then go and get busy. I’m going to get some sleep. I really haven’t slept well these past few days."
"Okay." Li Dong walked to the door and glanced back at her. "Get some good rest."
Then he closed the door behind him.
He walked out of the hotel.
Li Dong walked along the sidewalk.
The plan offered by Professors Chen Ruihua and Zhou Li’an was the most proper and safest way to handle the situation.
Follow the official legal process, collect evidence, submit an appeal to Huaxuan’s audit department, and file a lawsuit if necessary.
Perhaps a normal person would do just that.
But Li Dong wasn’t a normal person.
’This would take too much time, and I don’t have that much time to waste on such petty squabbles.’
’As long as I’m sure they’re the ones in the wrong, that’s enough.’
His Basic Attributes had all reached 0.4, and his Memory had even broken through to 0.6.
’With this combination of stats, forget academia—he could even have a meteoric rise in politics.’

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