Waking up early in the morning, Jimmy and Kim finished getting ready in their slightly cramped bathroom, grabbed their briefcases, and headed out. Jimmy had a packed day: a trip to the detention center in the morning, court in the afternoon, and a lunch meeting with Howard at noon. Kim glanced at the broken glass in the parking lot; as she cleaned it up, she pondered how to resolve the situation with the elderly Mr. Axel properly.
When Jimmy arrived at the detention center, his clients were the two small-time crooks who’d been causing trouble to take advantage of his 50% discount. For charges like theft, the plan was simple: admit they’d acted impulsively under the influence of drugs, then get a fake certificate from a disreputable rehab center. For other misdemeanors—crashing a car, vandalism—they’d negotiate a six-month prison sentence. With prisons overcrowded, they’d likely be out in three months.
Once the defense strategy was set, it was time to talk fees. When the two crooks heard the half-price rate was still $4,000, they immediately complained bitterly and threatened to switch to a free public defender. Jimmy didn’t push it—you get what you pay for. Go with a free lawyer, and they’d be looking at a lengthy stay behind bars. After Jimmy’s mix of cajoling and intimidation, the two thieves didn’t dare complain further and quickly agreed to ask their relatives for money.
At noon, he met Howard at an upscale restaurant. It was clear Howard was less interested in Jimmy and more in Saul Goodman. Jimmy was just Chuck’s brother; their past grievances had been a family matter. But Saul was different—rising from a mailroom clerk to a lawyer, then making a spectacular comeback. HHM Law Firm was expanding, and they needed someone ambitious, resourceful, and ruthless like Saul. Howard’s words were heartfelt, but they barely moved Jimmy. He didn’t give an answer on the spot. After the meal, he saw Howard off to his car, already mentally preparing for the afternoon trial.
Kim spent the entire morning in a conference room, discussing the construction progress with Mesa Verde Bank. She proposed relocating the customer service center construction site to another parcel of land—one that had been rejected earlier due to flood risk concerns. But Kim had learned the local government had recently reinforced all drainage systems in the area and rebuilt 16 kilometers of nearby highways. The new roads would speed up construction and make the entire process more efficient, fully offsetting the delays at the original site. In the long run, the land’s value was expected to double in five years, making it an excellent investment. Additionally, forcibly evicting Mr. Axel carried potential reputational risks. However, Kim’s suggestion was rejected by the bank’s senior management. It seemed she had no choice but to notify the sheriff to remove Mr. Axel from his home.
Kim was devastated. She didn’t want to be the one responsible for forcing an elderly man out of his house, but she felt powerless to stop it. She packed up her briefcase and went to the courthouse, slipping into the gallery to watch Jimmy defend a case that seemed unwinnable. Jimmy sat at the defense table, beside the case’s "suspect." On the witness stand sat the shopkeeper, who had just identified the defendant as the man who robbed his store, as questioned by the prosecutor.
After the prosecutor finished, Jimmy stood up calmly and raised an objection. With no other customers that night, no security cameras in the store, and the shopkeeper having worked 11 consecutive hours, how could he be certain the defendant was the one who stole the money from the cash register? The shopkeeper didn’t back down, claiming he’d seen the defendant rob him up close and would never mistake him.
In reality, the man sitting at the defense table wasn’t the suspect at all—he was a bartender from a nearby bar, with multiple alibi witnesses proving he’d been at work the night of the crime. The real suspect was sitting in the back of the gallery; his only similarity to the bartender was a thick beard. The witness was left tongue-tied. The judge and prosecutor were both angry and helpless at Jimmy’s underhanded trick, and had no choice but to declare a recess.
As people filed out of the courtroom, Jimmy walked over to Kim, sensing something was bothering her. After hearing her story, Jimmy rushed straight to Mr. Axel’s house. He knocked on the door and vowed to make certain people pay—by any means necessary. So, with Kim’s arrangement, Jimmy gained a new client, and his opponent was the arrogant Mesa Verde Bank.