"Please deplane, we need your cooperation."
Tang Long found that these guys all seemed to be spouting the same lines.
This time, however, they weren't just ordinary employees.
The man wore sunglasses and had a burly physique. His tone wasn't as arrogant as the flight attendants', but it carried a distant coldness.
"You can have me deplane, but you need to give me a reason."
The man let out a cold snort. "Assaulting a flight attendant, do you think that's reason enough?"
"Where's the evidence? Which of your eyes saw me assaulting a flight attendant?"
"This is not a negotiation. We have people who will present the evidence to you. Please cooperate, or we will use legal force against you."
This guy wasn't kidding.
The key was that he started quoting legal statutes.
In the United States, once these law enforcement officers start quoting legal statutes, prepare for legal action based on race. If he weren't a celebrity, this guy might have already drawn his gun.
Tang Long looked at Jonas.
Jonas had a dark expression.
Originally, this had nothing to do with Tang Long. Moreover, that student earlier wanted to have him kicked off the plane, and Tang Long had even wanted to help her.
Although it was a manly thing to do, Jonas didn't think it was a wise choice. Only a reckless person would stick up for a stranger and get themselves into trouble in the process.
Jonas was initially complaining in his mind about Tang Long, but then he heard Tang Long add another sentence.
"Jonas, this is a test for you. If you can't even handle such a small matter, then you might as well give up your seat."
Fuck.
Jonas cursed Tang Long in his mind.
But seeing the smug look on Tang Long's lips, Jonas became confused again.
Could it be that this guy did this deliberately, to test his capabilities?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt this was the case. Because Tang Long's logic was clear and organized before, and then he suddenly became a brute. This contrast was too stark.
But regardless, Tang Long had already spoken. As Tang Long's hired representative, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go ahead.
"Hello, I am Jonas. This is my business card."
The man lazily took Jonas's business card, but upon seeing the name of the law firm and his position, he immediately dropped his dismissive attitude.
Seeing the change, Jonas continued, "You accuse my client of violating air traffic control regulations. Which law did he violate?"
The man was about to answer, but Jonas impatiently waved his hand, "Forget it. We're in a hurry and don't have time for your nonsense. Your personnel did not announce the enforcement agency and their names upon boarding, nor did they read the law to the person carrying out the action. My client believed you were terrorists, hence his actions. Not only did you not award our client a good citizen award, but you also want to forcibly detain him. I have the right to pursue compensation for the emotional and reputational damages your airline has caused my client."
"Listen here. My client is a household name, a star athlete. Your actions have caused immeasurable damage to my client's image. If your improper handling of this situation negatively impacts my client in the eyes of his fans, and consequently affects his current commercial endorsements, then all of this must be borne by your airline."
Saying this, Jonas looked at Bill Duffy. "Bill, how many endorsements does Tang currently have and what's their total value?"
"Not many, just a few."
Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, Bill Duffy slowly added, "Each is worth tens of millions of US dollars. Let's conservatively estimate a total of one hundred million US dollars for you."
Fuck.
The air traffic controller's expression clearly changed. His cheek twitched involuntarily. If it weren't for the sunglasses hiding his eyes, it would have been even more dramatic.
"Now, do you have anything else to say? If not, notify the tower to take off. My client needs to speak with the safety department's examiners as the second-largest shareholder of Twitter. If your intentional delay of the flight causes losses, those will also be on your head."
The air traffic controller was already breaking out in a cold sweat.
Jonas was too sharp. Moreover, with someone well-versed in the law present, he couldn't just fool them around.
"Hmph. We will look into it."
The air traffic controller snorted and grudgingly left with his subordinates.
Not long after, the captain's voice announced that the plane could take off and asked everyone to fasten their seatbelts.
Although it took some time to sort things out, Tang Long was very satisfied with Jonas.
Professional, with a hint of unreasonableness.
This was the kind of lawyer he needed.
"Tang, can we build trust now?"
Tang Long couldn't help but laugh. "More than trust, I think we can engage in in-depth cooperation."
Jonas's eyes lit up instantly.
Tang Long's words had a double meaning. But there was no denying that Tang Long was a shrewd investor. If he were to continue investing or conducting business activities in the United States, he would naturally need a legal team for support.
Most importantly, while the money earned from Tang Long might not be the most, the increase in his reputation as a lawyer would be immeasurable.
This was also why he was willing to accept the commission.
After several hours of smooth flight, the plane finally arrived in San Francisco. Jesse was already waiting at the airport to pick them up.
Seeing a stranger with Tang Long, Jesse was taken aback.
"Jesse, long time no see."
Compared to their first meeting, Jesse now faintly exuded an air of confidence, a stark contrast to his previous desperation for investors.
"It hasn't been that long, has it?"
Jesse thought to himself, "You just dragged me to watch a game not too long ago."
"And who is this?"
"Oh, let me introduce you. This is Jonas."
Like most people, Jesse was clearly taken aback when he heard Jonas's name, obviously not knowing who he was. However, upon hearing the name of Jonas's law firm, his eyes lit up.
A Big Four law firm.
He never expected Tang Long to bring in such a powerful lawyer. This firm was notoriously expensive, charging tens of thousands of US dollars per hour.
However, this was also Jonas's biggest frustration.
He wanted people to be shocked by his name, not by hearing about his law firm.
After getting into the car, Jesse summarized the situation and the key points of his previous conversation with the security department to the three of them.
Jonas remained silent for about ten minutes. After a calm analysis, he looked at Tang Long. "Tang, getting through this is very simple. Even an ordinary lawyer could handle it. But in a few years, you might face stricter scrutiny."