Too Bad I Take Things Seriously

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Cui Lian and Xia Qingqing both suspected they were hallucinating.

"What?"

Qi ZhaoYu glanced at the two and said indifferently, "I can only rank second. Over there, Zhang Wei has already taken on more than 900 cases."

It was the day before the trial.

As of today, over 3,000 defendants had nearly all been claimed.

Among various law firms, he ranked second.

Zhang Wei, with his excellent reputation for sentence reduction defense, ranked first, having secured representation for over 900 defendants.

Linghe Law Firm ranked third, having secured representation for over 500 defendants.

The remaining defendants... were all claimed by other law firms.

"So many? Were they all sued by Qin Mu?"

After hearing this, Yuan Cui Lian and her daughter were almost dumbfounded.

They had only been detained for eight days, but the outside world... suddenly seemed incomprehensible.

Where had all these defendants come from?

"They were all sued for defamation for cyberbullying in the comments under someone else's video. That's different from your case; you were provoking trouble... Wait, are your names Yuan Cui Lian and Xia Qingqing?"

Qi ZhaoYu looked down at a copy of the complaint, then paused again.

He had never met Yuan Cui Lian and Xia Qingqing. But in dealing with cases these days... he had become familiar with the details of these defamation charges.

He knew very well where this defamation incident had originated.

Yuan Cui Lian and Xia Qingqing exchanged glances and nodded, acknowledging their identities.

They both looked rather grim.

They... had never imagined Qin Mu could be so incredibly ruthless!

Who exactly were they opposing?

"So this case... can you win it?"

After a long moment, Xia Qingqing couldn't help but ask again.

Qi ZhaoYu carefully reviewed the case details again and analyzed seriously, "It's quite difficult to win, but... I'm confident we can get a sentence reduction."

In this case, Qin Mu had sued the two for actions that constituted both illegal acts and criminal offenses.

The punishment for illegal acts was lighter, but the criminal offenses included infringing on citizens' personal information and picking quarrels and provoking trouble.

These two charges were not triggered by the same act.

Publicly disclosing Qin Mu and others' information online constituted the crime of infringing on citizens' personal information, punishable by imprisonment or criminal detention for up to three years.

Publicly announcing the previous court judgment online and maliciously inciting and exploiting netizens' emotions against Qin Mu and others fell under the crime of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, punishable by imprisonment or criminal detention for up to five years.

The principle of cumulative punishment for multiple offenses would apply.

This meant that their combined sentences could reach up to eight years.

The exact length of the sentence would depend on the evidence presented by the prosecution and the success of our defense.

"That long?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Cui Lian and her daughter turned rather pale.

Not only were their chances of winning the lawsuit slim, but they might also end up in prison!

This outcome was something they had never anticipated.

"No, wait."

Qi ZhaoYu looked at them in surprise, then glanced at the date the summons had been received.

He couldn't help but ask, "The summons reached you days ago, so why are you only seeking a lawyer now? Are you just now realizing the severity of the situation?"

Yuan Cui Lian and her daughter gave a bitter smile.

They didn't respond.

They couldn't possibly admit... that they had been in detention all these days, could they?

「...」

Nursing home.

The night before the trial.

The atmosphere inside the nursing home had quietly become agitated.

"The trial is tomorrow! Everyone get up early. I've heard there are many defendants; if we're late, there won't be any seats in the public gallery!"

"Three thousand two hundred defendants! To see such a trial in my lifetime makes it all worthwhile!"

"The only shame is that Xiao Qin is so stubborn, turning down money that's offered right to him."

"Exactly! Tens of thousands per person. If everyone offered, it would be over one hundred million, right?"

"…"

Listening to the discussion among Zhang Qingyuan and the others, Qin Mu couldn't help but smile wryly.

The trial was tomorrow, yet Old Zhang and his friends were even more excited than he was.

Clearly, these were a group of old men whose priorities had gone completely askew.

Meanwhile, Wang Dachui was still preoccupied with personal matters and had already taken nearly a month's leave.

And Zhang Wei had already taken on the defense for other defendants.

So this case...

He hadn't hired a lawyer and instead planned to represent himself in court.

Moreover, Qing Lan had also sent him a message: "Up, the trial is tomorrow! Perform brilliantly and try to get the one wielding the gavel locked up!"

Qin Mu's mouth twitched, and he simply replied, "Thank you."

Qing Lan had stayed in Jin City for a while. She had already returned to Zizhou but remained keenly interested in this case.

After all... Qin Mu had borrowed six million yuan from her to sue everyone online!

If he lost the case, her investment would be a complete write-off.

Of course, she still had great faith in Qin Mu's abilities; otherwise, she wouldn't have lent him the money so decisively.

「...」

The next day.

At the crack of dawn, an undercurrent of anticipation and anxiety swirled in the various bed-and-breakfasts and hotels near the Jin City Court.

Accompanied by their families, the defendants... made their way to the courthouse, nervous and apprehensive.

At the courthouse entrance, they met up with their fellow "teammates."

Representatives from law firms, large and small, stood outside the courthouse holding up signs.

They were doing a roll call in advance to prevent anyone from being late.

The largest groups were gathered under the banners of Zhang Wei Law Firm, Qi ZhaoYu Law Firm, and Linghe Law Firm.

Dozens of other law firms, large and small, had each taken on representation for at least a dozen or so defendants.

By 9:00 AM, all the defendants had gathered with their respective legal counsel. The scene was quite spectacular.

Anyone who didn't know better... might have thought they were attending some large-scale sporting event.

The court itself was equally tense.

To maintain order, a large number of bailiffs and other security personnel had been mobilized to prevent any incidents during this massive trial.

What sins have we committed…

Looking at the heavy security presence all around, the defendants had very mixed feelings.

Then, they followed their respective lawyers into the courthouse.

Under the watchful guidance of the court staff, they proceeded to their designated waiting areas.

The courtroom itself had limited space and couldn't possibly accommodate 3,000 people simultaneously.

Therefore, they had to wait in these areas until their specific cases were called.

Their family members also had to wait. Only when a case was formally being heard were family members allowed into the public gallery.

At 9:30 AM, Qin Mu arrived at the courthouse with Liang Chengbin, Bai Xuelan, and Hua Li.

He, too, was stunned by the spectacular sight before him.

"Mr. Qin, are... are all these people the defendants?"

Liang Chengbin stared, his mouth agape, looking as if he wanted to say more but hesitated. His face was a mask of shock.

As they walked further, they found various large waiting rooms packed with people awaiting trial.

"Yes," Qin Mu said, taking a deep breath. "They... are all the people who cyberbullied us on various platforms."

These people might look innocent now, but not long ago... every single one of them wielded an invisible cleaver, relentlessly attacking us with their sharp words.

And this... this was merely the tip of the iceberg of cyberbullying.

His purpose in pursuing this so tenaciously was actually to make the vast majority of people, those hidden beneath the surface like the bulk of an iceberg... realize the gravity of the situation.

Online defamation, character assassination, and similar acts all carry severe consequences!

Adults must pay the price for their actions! No one is an exception!