In 2013, Dai and Ms. Zhang settled in Jinshan District, Shanghai, and planned to marry in early 2015. During this period, Dai borrowed 170,000 yuan from Ms. Zhang's younger brother, Zhang Jia, for business, and later repaid part of it to Ms. Zhang, totaling over 100,000 yuan. Meanwhile, Dai bought gold and silver jewelry for Ms. Zhang, paid a betrothal gift, and, mimicking the plot of the TV drama "Let's Get Married," gave his household registration book, property deed, and other documents as "proposal props" to Ms. Zhang. However, the couple later broke up over trivial matters. Although Dai asked Ms. Zhang to return the documents, she demanded an additional 50,000 yuan as a breakup fee before agreeing. In February 2015, Zhang Jia hired a lawyer to sue Dai, demanding repayment of the 170,000 yuan debt plus interest at four times the bank loan rate. Dai then retained the legal team of Wang Tengfeng from Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm to represent him. Under the direction of lead lawyer Wang Tengfeng, lawyer Zhang Yong and trainee lawyer Ye Huijuan handled the case.

After reviewing the case details, lawyer Zhang Yong believed that this matter could not be simply viewed as a debt lawsuit. The 170,000 yuan debt dispute between Dai and Zhang Jia was essentially caused by the breakup between Dai and Ms. Zhang. Even if Dai won the debt lawsuit, his document issue would remain unresolved, leading to endless disputes and entanglements for him. Therefore, Zhang Yong suggested that Dai resolve the case through a settlement, and Dai agreed.

Meanwhile, to secure a favorable position in the settlement negotiations, Attorney Zhang Yong specifically filed a "Motion to Add a Third Party" with the Jinshan District Court, requesting that the court add Ms. Zhang as a third party in the case. He argued that Zhang Jia's alleged "borrowing" from Dai was connected to Dai's periodic repayments to Ms. Zhang. Ultimately, the court accepted Attorney Zhang Yong's motion and postponed the trial date to allow both sides to prepare.

On the day of the trial, the judge first attempted mediation. During the process, Ms. Zhang's mother became extremely agitated, repeatedly accusing Dai of defrauding her daughter of both money and affection. Dai appeared to have an unspoken difficulty, looking embarrassed and remaining silent. Zhang's mother then proposed a settlement fee of 200,000 yuan, which Dai immediately refused, resulting in the first mediation ending without resolution.

However, Attorney Zhang Yong did not become discouraged or back down. Instead, he boldly contacted Zhang's mother to explain the stakes: First, a significant portion of Dai's debt had already been repaid to Zhang Jia's sister, Ms. Zhang. As Dai's attorney, we were confident in presenting the truth in court. Second, Ms. Zhang's retention of Dai's various documents was legally and ethically improper and should be returned. Otherwise, we would pursue legal action to the end without compromise. Finally, Zhang Jia and his mother lived in Henan, while the case was filed in Shanghai. Prolonging the litigation would force them to travel back and forth repeatedly, incurring substantial costs for both sides.

Persuaded by Attorney Zhang Yong's arguments, Zhang's mother gradually accepted the idea of continued settlement negotiations. In a subsequent second mediation session, the parties discussed the substantive terms of the settlement. Ultimately, the three parties reached a settlement agreement: Dai agreed to pay Ms. Zhang 65,000 yuan as a breakup fee and to settle the remaining debt owed to Zhang Jia; Ms. Zhang agreed to return Dai's "marriage proposal props," including his ID card, Hong Kong and Macau travel permit, household registration booklet, property deed, and home purchase contract; Zhang Jia agreed to withdraw the lawsuit from the Jinshan District People's Court within a specified timeframe. Thus, the case concluded with a tripartite settlement.