TV Multiverse 83 (Patreon)

Making the necessary calls and having an arrest warrant out for Chuck Bass didn’t take long. Naturally, he didn’t expect it to be actually delivered, but merely as a counter. At the same time, his new civil suit warning dropped into Pearson Hardman’s inbox, with an arrest warrant attached, which, naturally, sent Harvey into overdrive.

Dealing with the arrest warrant was easy. But, it complicated Harvey’s easy trademark claim too much.

As a result, when Ethan suggested a pre-arbitration meeting that same afternoon, they were quick to accept. Harvey also tried to keep it limited to them, but against the ultimatum between bringing Chuck and directly pushing for trial, he knew which one was better.

Ethan didn’t underestimate Harvey. His ethical flexibility aside, the guy was still an incredible lawyer, enough to carve himself a special place in the legal landscape of New York.

But, he didn’t fear Harvey either. The worst thing about being a lawyer was the clients, especially the ones like Chuck Bass, volatile, arrogant, and just impulsive enough to say the wrong thing on the witness stand.

Meaning, Harvey would prefer to stop it from going to trial.

Ethan didn’t bother hiding his smile when he was led into the conference room by an associate. He was fifteen minutes early, they didn’t try to pull a cheap power play by holding him on the door.

The room was large, fancy, and his seat was chosen very deliberately, giving him a direct view of the most crowded part of Pearson Hardman. It was not a conference room used casually. It existed to show the power of their law firm.

Legal equivalent of medieval army posturing.

Donna arrived just as he took a seat, looking relaxed, casual, and harmless. He didn’t need the knowledge from the show to know that was anything but. She was one of the most perceptive people in the world, and loyal to Harvey, even when Harvey regularly took her for granted. “May I bring you any refreshment?” she said, trying to look like she wasn’t scoping out the enemy.

“Just an espresso, please,” he said, his tone kind, welcoming, and friendly. He didn’t have to fake it. Donna was amazing, and even if she wasn’t, trying to bully a secretary while she was in her official capacity was not his style.

He noticed Donna’s slight pause, no doubt trying to adjust her perception with what she had heard from Harvey, and collected herself.

Harvey, Mike, and Chuck arrived right on time, each dressed sharply, contrasting with his simple white t-shirt. Seeing the lack of lawyer, Harvey looked excited, ready for revenge.

The pre-arbitration meeting was an interesting case. Technically, it wasn’t binding because they had no arbitrator to observe and make a decision, but since it was being recorded, any admission would still be given extra weight in an eventual trial.

“Sorry about it, my lawyer is running a few minutes behind," Ethan said with a pleasant smile. “I hope you don’t mind?”

Harvey frowned. “It’s unprofessional.”

“It’s very unprofessional, isn’t it? Especially without even a courtesy call,” he responded, reminding Harvey about their previous meeting.

Harvey seemed angry, but he knew that he didn’t have the upper hand. “Fine. While waiting for your lawyer, please answer me this. Why is my client dealing with a precinct responsible for the Brooklyn area? Just because you have friends there?”

Ethan had to admit. Harvey was good. Whether he agreed or disagreed, he would give Harvey a way to claim preferential police treatment and corruption, transferring the case to a friendlier precinct. Luckily, thanks to his legal knowledge, he knew exactly what was safe to say, and what was not. “I have active cases with Nine-Nine, so I have given the primary detective a courtesy call.”

"Active cases." Harvey said slowly, his smile growing. He didn’t ask immediately, but the smile reminded Ethan of a prospector who hit oil, unaware that he had just tapped the sewage line. “Since it’s a detective and not just an officer, I assume it’s a serious situation.”

“It’s pretty serious,” Ethan said, smiling at Harvey’s enthusiasm. In theory, his active cases shouldn’t be used to affect a commercial dispute or Chuck’s assault, but it was one of the principles that were ignored regularly.

Especially in the hands of a lawyer like Harvey, who used any advantage regardless of ethical implications.

He couldn’t wait to see his face when he learned the true nature of those active cases.

The room fell silent. Harvey said nothing, waiting for him to continue. It was a simple yet effective trick. Silence was uncomfortable, and most people loved to fill it. Harvey was clearly betting on his arrogance.

Unfortunately for him, his client was worse. He caught Chuck’s gaze, and gave him a smirk filled with smugness, slowly watching him boil. Then, right on time, he made a show of stretching and yawning, both intentionally clumsy and artificial. “Sorry about it. I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he said.

Chuck immediately flew off the handle. “I’ll kill you, you bastard. How dare you touch my girlfriend—“

“Mr. Bass, please,” Harvey said, trying to look like he was in control. “Please calm down.”

Chuck managed to calm down after Mike leaned down, and started whispering into Chuck’s ear, explaining that it was a trap to anger him.

"This is ridiculous," Chuck muttered. "I’m Chuck Bass. I can sue you out of existence.”

"Mr. Bass," Harvey's voice cut across him, sharp. “Let me handle this."

Ethan watched the dynamic carefully, happy to see how little control Harvey actually had over Chuck. It was good news because it meant their relationship could easily be damaged, making Chuck panic.

Chuck wasn’t stupid, but he was overconfident and impulsive, which effectively functioned the same in the courtroom. Especially since, living as a billionaire, he had a really skewed idea of what counted as crime, casually committing many felonies, from more common drug and sex-related crimes to actual tax fraud.

Those kind of issues weren’t touched during battles between billionaires, since all committed the same. However, he didn’t have to play with their code-of-conduct.

Chuck fell silent.

“Don’t worry, Harvey. It’s only normal for a teenager to act out,” Ethan said.

“I’m an adult,” Chuck growled.

“You are?” Ethan responded, once again radiating exaggerated shock. “Are you sure?”

Poor Mike had to work overtime to calm Chuck down. “Mike, why don’t you and Mr. Bass go for a quick walk while we wait for Mr. Calloway’s legal representative—“

The timing was perfect, as at that moment his lawyer pushed the door open. Harvey turned, only to do a double-take.

Robert Zane, one of the most respected legal minds in New York. It was ironic that in the future, Zane had to take the blame for Harvey’s misdeeds, ending up disbarred due to a series of convoluted events.

But, assuming that even held, it was still half a decade away. Right now, he was a managing partner in one of the biggest firms.

“No need, Harvey. I’m already here,” he said.

“Robert,” Harvey said, surprised. “I didn’t expect you to represent Mr. Calloway.”

Ethan smirked. He didn’t say anything since there was a recording, but he didn’t need to. Harvey was a sharp man, and he understood exactly why he was being mocked.

Meanwhile, Mike found his attention drifting as he found himself looking at the father of his girlfriend … or his crush, depending on exactly where they were in the relationship. Bringing Robert Zane served multiple functions.

Robert settled into the chair beside Ethan, opening his briefcase. “What a nice view,” he commented, no doubt amused by the show. A more ordinary lawyer would have been intimidated, but not Zane.

Harvey nodded, frosty, realizing once again he was outmaneuvered.

Ethan didn’t say anything, as unlike Chuck, he knew exactly when to speak and when to let his lawyer speak. “We have an interesting case here,” Zane started. “One that starting with a frivolous trademark case so badly written, followed by assault, destruction of property, and what seems to be legal tampering and intimidation. It looks interesting, especially since it could be argued as hostile and unethical, especially with the settlement offer.” Zane paused. “If that’s the quality Pearson Hardman is expecting from its associates, you might have to revisit your hiring practices.”

Mike’s expression was amusing as he was insulted by his future father-in-law.

Zane was calm when he was speaking because what he had in hand was a giant fish jumping onto his boat. All he needed to finish it.

“It has nothing to do with that stupid lawsuit. That bastard seduced my girlfriend—“ Chuck exploded, jumping up to his feet, ready to throw punches.

“Shut up!” Harvey shouted, finally losing his cool. “Mike, bring Mr. Bass for a walk,” he said, then turned to Zane. “Sorry about that.”

“No worries,” Zane said, more than happy to have the outburst on the record. That admission, in the hands of an expert lawyer, was a gold mine. It might not result in a win, but Zane could easily use it to extend the lawsuit for months, which was something that worked to his benefit, because he was confident he could use the lawsuit to block Chuck from selling his shares in his company, which in turn would delay his daring purchase.

That was the whole plan.

For the next hour, Zane and Harvey discussed legal minutia, creating a baseline of understanding. He noticed that Harvey didn’t use his legal troubles as a weapon yet, no doubt waiting for the right time.

Zane didn’t either. For his case, they had already discussed that part before Zane took the case.

They waited until Chuck returned before Zane pulled the initial settlement agreement, and pushed toward Harvey, whose eyes widened. “This is a settlement for a hundred million dollars. Is this a joke? Or retaliation for our previous case?”

Ethan opened his mouth, and he noticed Harvey smile and Zane panic, no doubt expecting a quip from him. It looked trivial, but admitting it to be retaliation would weaken their case considerably.

However, Ethan kept his mouth open for a few seconds, then turned into a yawn. “Apologies. Long night with new friends,” he said, annoying Harvey and angering Chuck at the same time.

“It’s a cash settlement offer, one that has several merits considering the lengthy legal trouble it could put Bass Industries in. An injunction about major asset movements could seriously limit the movement.”

Harvey waved his hand dismissively. “My client is currently not a manager, meaning he has no material control over company operations.”

Ethan sighed, but this time, his tone wasn’t exaggerated, using his real acting abilities. He leaned toward Zane, speaking softly enough that the recorder wouldn’t pick, but he picked an angle so that Chuck could hear. “Does that mean as long as he’s not planning to sell his stocks in the next two years, the lawsuit is useless?” he said with a disappointed sigh.

The panic on Chuck’s face was beautiful. The best part, his reaction was obvious enough to alert every single one of them. Harvey didn’t say anything, just grabbed Chuck’s arm and dragged him out of the room, leaving Mike alone. “T-ten minute recess?” Mike offered, confused.

“Acceptable,” Zane said, and together, they left for the breakroom, there to allow lawyers to confer with their clients privately. One without a recording device. Recording one’s own discussion was one thing, secretly recording privileged conversations was a whole different story.

Still, even then, considering the number of ethical violations and illegal stuff Harvey had done, he decided to play it safe.

“That reaction tells that Mr. Bass is prepared to make a big move,” Zane said. “The kind that requires him to sell a considerable amount of shares. That’s excellent news. The initial idea was to get around five million, but it could go to twelve.”

That had been the initial plan, because he had kept Chuck’s big plan a secret. It was one thing he shouldn’t have known. So, during their initial plan, they had discussed to target a few million dollars.

He smiled. “Push for seventy, settle for fifty.”

“Harvey would never agree to that.”

“Harvey would not, but Chuck seems to be in too much of a hurry. He had gotten his inheritance a few months ago, and he is probably planning to pull a big deal, the kind that would prove that he’s not an impulsive rich kid.”

Zane nodded. “You want me to highlight exactly how long the deal could stretch. Harvey is barely able to keep control. Harvey would probably try to use your so-called legal troubles as a smoking gun before he could confirm it with the Nine-Nine. His contacts there are not strong in criminal law, and the official response will take a day.” He smiled. “Knowing Harvey, he’ll trust his instincts rather than calling in a favor, and that will be the time Mr. Bass loses his patience.”

Ethan smirked. “Exactly.”

“There’s a risk that they will take the settlement off the table, and push for the lawsuit. We have a good chance of winning, but our reasonable payout expectation is around a million at best in a lawsuit. It could even be lower.”

“I’m willing to take the risk,” he said, glad that Zane was a reasonable lawyer. He knew that if he had Harvey, he probably lied to get the result he wanted.

In the show, Harvey had lied to his client a shocking number of times, an offense that could have gotten him disbarred.

Zane chuckled. “No wonder you refused to handle the case on a contingency basis.”

“Still, the bonus clause means you net half a million if we get the settlement. Not bad for a day’s work, right?”

“Not compared to fifty million,” Zane chuckled.

When they returned, Harvey and Zane started another argument, with Harvey trying to convince Zane for a settlement of six million, but Zane holding out. Harvey was not an impatient lawyer, but his client was, and Ethan’s request that Chuck had to be in the room for discussion was stretching his patience badly.

“Maybe we should go ahead with the lawsuit. It’ll take some time—“

“Two years, minimum,” Zane interjected, which made Chuck shuffle.

“Oh, I wouldn’t be sure about it, especially if your client is dealing with his own legal troubles. The kind that requires the attention of the detectives. Did you know about it?”

Zane chuckled. “Troubles. Are you talking about the situation with the ninety-ninth precinct, where Ethan tackled two murder suspects on the street when they were about to gun down several police officers, right in the middle of Brooklyn.”

Harvey froze. Once again, with a more reasonable client, that wouldn’t have been a devastating hit. Hell, it would barely be more than an anecdote, but Chuck’s shock indicated that Harvey used that fact heavily to convince Chuck to follow his direction.

“This is absurd,” Chuck growled, jumping up. “I thought you were supposed to be a good lawyer. I’m going to settle,” he said.

“Mr. Bass. There’s no—“ Harvey said, but it was too late.

“I’ll settle for sixty million,” Chuck said.

“Eighty,” Ethan interjected.

“Seventy,” Chuck countered.

“Deal,” he said, and under the gazes of the lawyers, they shook hands. Seventy million was an absurd number. Apparently, his plan worked even better than he expected, because he misjudged just how desperate Chuck was to make a name for himself.

Admittedly, it was probably below five percent of his net worth, but considering how little merit the case had, it was still a huge chunk of money.

But then, Chuck wouldn’t be Chuck if he hadn’t followed his stupid impulses.

Under Chuck’s insistence, Harvey had no choice but to complete the settlement. He tried to pull a few tricks, but Ethan didn’t need to speak. Zane handled. His reputation was well deserved.

“Finally,” Chuck said, then looked at Harvey. “Forget about representing Bass Industries going forward. You won’t even be able to take a step inside.”

Ethan knew Zane would handle the rest of the situation, including nondisclosure agreements. He wasn’t afraid of a leak. Chuck wouldn’t want to show how badly he had lost; Harvey would want to hide his shame, and Zane was too professional for such a leak.

Eventually, it would be revealed, but but then, the importance of the event would have passed.

As he walked out, the notification arrived.

[Achievement complete. Defeat Harvey in a major case.

Challenge: Hard]

[+10 Charisma

1 Random Gold Skill

1 Random Gold Reward]

He picked the stat. Interestingly, there was no reward for defeating Chuck. Either Harvey’s victory covered it, or even the system didn’t find the victory impressive despite the scale.

Considering the number of times Chuck lost his whole fortune in the show, maybe the system had a point.

Chuck was glaring at him as they left the conference room together. “Did you really tackle two murderers?” he asked.

“Suspects, technically, but yes. They were pulling guns, and it was safer than trying to run away.”

Chuck paused. “Respect,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I won’t destroy you, but respect you.”

Ethan nodded. “I appreciate it. And, since you’re showing respect, I’ll show you the same. I didn’t know Blair was your girlfriend. I was at Sotheby’s confronting you.” Chuck looked at him, clearly not believing him. “You should have the pull to get the security cam footage for the auction. Watch it, and it’ll show,” he said.

It wasn’t that he was afraid of Chuck, but he was showing him a hint of mercy. Seventy million dollars earned that much slack from him.

If Chuck took the opportunity and antagonized him excessively, he would let him go. He tried to ruin Max’s life, but since it failed, seventy million dollars was more than acceptable restitution.

Chuck said nothing, just gave a nod and walked away.

Ethan smiled as he watched Chuck walk away. Ironically, seventy million was not a bad price for teaching Chuck about the value of patience. Unfortunately, he doubted it was the lesson Chuck took from it.

He didn’t leave immediately, but looked at the conference room, where Harvey and Zane were still working. Key documents were signed, but seventy million still required a lot of details to move properly.

On the way back, he saw Louis trying to catch a peek, excited. Even if the non-disclosure agreement prevented the exact number from being known for the moment, the fact that Harvey lost a case and a billion-dollar client wouldn’t stay a secret.

Ethan deliberately walked to Louis. “Mr. Litt, I’m Ethan.”

“Oh, we know,” Louis said, smirking. The case was a loss to the firm, but to Louis, it was a gift. “And, call me Louis. It’s not every day Harvey gets schooled by someone young enough to be an associate in our firm.”

“It’s fun to get the golden boy a little mud, right?” he said. Louis smiled even wider. He decided to throw one last dynamite at Harvey’s little party. “I’m happy to see you’re not angry. I would have hated to lose access to one of the best lawyers in New York.”

“Me,” Louis said, surprised.

“Of course. You’re a genius with international company setups and tax shields. Some of my companies actually use the structure you outlined in the Harvard Law Review two years ago,” Ethan said, and then quoted several salient points to make it obvious that he knew exactly what he was talking about.

“Some of your companies?” Louis said. It was a statement that hit differently from a man who treated a multimillion-dollar settlement as a casual win rather than a life-changing lottery. “Such as?”

Ethan smirked. “I’m a private person, but don’t worry, Louis. If I need a real expert, I know who to call,” he said.

And, on the way out, he caught Donna’s gaze, winked at her, and left.