Subconsciously, I walked outside and dialed the number of Lawyer Tang's assistant.
"I don't know what to do now that they've suddenly said this..."
Soon, a voice came through the phone: "This is Tang Fangjing, I'll tell you where the problem is. That Lawyer Liu made the decision to agree to mediation without your permission."
"Didn't you notice? The topic has been derailed. Last time you all agreed to decide after clarifying the issues, never mind fifty percent, even ten percent would not have mattered."
"As a lawyer, he should have directly told you the answer, instead of saying that he had already taken the initiative to discuss the percentage with the other party. Do you understand?"
"After all, you aren't fully authorized agents for each other..."
These little tricks, old Tang stopped playing them when he was twenty-five years old. It's a subtle switch in concept, and anyone who's savvy can see through it right away.