Too Bad I Take Things Seriously

As the targets of cyberbullying, they had endured a lot of psychological pressure and torment in recent days. Being scolded by one person, if one had a broad mind, perhaps it wouldn't matter. But ten people, a hundred people, a thousand people... the result was completely different. When the internet was filled with overwhelming accusations and denunciations, they truly suffered.

And now, these trolls were astonishingly in the courtroom, actively apologizing to them! They admitted they shouldn't have insulted others online and tried to reach a settlement in court.

In the past, they would never have dared to imagine it. Having trolls apologize? That was almost impossible!

Of course, aside from those who actively admitted their mistakes and apologized in court, a few defiant defendants still emerged from the group of one hundred.

"I did scold someone in the comments back then, but there was a reason! They caused someone's death; don't they deserve to be scolded?!"

"In the video, that mother was crying so hard, and they didn't even offer a proper apology. We were just angry in the moment; that should be understandable, right?"

"Even if the facts weren't what they seemed and we were deceived, that's not our fault."

"We were on the side of justice. Our tone might have been a bit excessive, but we wanted to give a voice to the weak..."

These trolls always had their own worldviews. Even though Zhang Wei had repeatedly warned them, they still refused to admit their wrongdoing and settle in court.

On the defendants' bench, these few sentences infuriated Qin Mu and the others all over again. These people kept saying they spoke for justice, yet they didn't mention a single word about the harm of online verbal abuse. Nor did they consider the harm their momentary verbal gratification caused to others.

BANG.

「Two hours later.」

The one hundred individuals had finally finished making their statements.

In the front of the courtroom, Zhou Quanmin looked at both parties and spoke earnestly, "This case is special as it is a private prosecution. The panel still hopes that both parties can reach a consensus and settle."

With that said, he focused his gaze on Qin Mu and the others on the plaintiff's bench, inquiring, "If the defendants sincerely apologize, can the plaintiffs accept their apology and reconcile?"

In fact, for this case involving 3,200 defendants, the best solution was still a settlement. In a private prosecution, the plaintiff only needed to withdraw the lawsuit. Settling in court was also an option. Otherwise, the sentences for these people would range from a few months to a maximum of three years. Jin City's prisons really weren't sufficient. It was highly probable that they would have to be sent to other jurisdictions to be detained by local prisons. However, doing so would undoubtedly increase judicial pressure, manpower costs, time consumption, and so on. It would also have various negative social impacts.

Meanwhile, on the plaintiff's bench, Liang Chengbin and the others were momentarily stunned upon hearing Zhou Quanmin's inquiry. Their eyes instinctively turned to Qin Mu. After spending this period together, they all regarded Qin Mu as their backbone. This prosecution had also been spearheaded by Qin Mu himself.

"I... I'll listen to Mr. Qin," Liang Chengbin said somewhat nervously, with a slight stutter.

Bai Xuelan and Hua Li also chimed in, "We'll listen to Qin Mu."

Qin Mu then stood up and glanced at the one hundred defendants beside Zhang Wei. His gaze was calm yet resolute.

He said in a deep voice, "Online verbal abuse has been around for a long time.

"The damage it causes is not material, but psychological.

"When a deluge of slanderous comments descends, anyone's psyche will suffer indelible harm!

"Regarding these 3,200 people...

"No matter their reasons for participating in this cyberbullying, to me, they are the abusers!

"Forgiving them will not bring any joy to my heart. On the contrary, only when they receive the punishment they deserve will I feel satisfied, happy, and at ease!

"Just like when they engaged in cyberbullying, building their happiness on the pain of others!"

Then, Qin Mu enunciated each word, "In this lawsuit, we will not forgive a single one of the 3,200 defendants!"

He spoke plainly and simply.

Human joys and sorrows are not truly shared. It's like when the mother of the downstairs neighbor dies, and she's wailing. Even if I usually have a close relationship with their family, I wouldn't feel any of her pain. I might even find her incredibly noisy. Many people's happiness is often built on the suffering of others. He was the same. Only by sending all these trolls to prison would he feel that he hadn't been subjected to their abuse in vain!

「Zizhou.」

「A high-end residential complex.」

Qing Lan was in her new apartment, watching the live broadcast on her computer.

"Well said!"

She watched the courtroom scene intently, her expression very excited. Just now, when the Judgment Chief had asked whether to forgive, she had actually been somewhat uneasy. Three thousand two hundred defendants—it had indeed caused a huge sensation and was receiving a lot of attention. Perhaps a settlement was the best outcome. But then, in front of everyone, Qin Mu had refused the settlement!

These words struck a chord deep in her heart.

As a self-proclaimed terrible gamer, she had suffered at the hands of trolls for a long time. So what if I'm just a little bit bad at games? Why should I be flamed so hard that my entire family tree gets cursed every time?

At the same time, she noticed her fan group chat was also erupting.

"Did everyone watch the court live broadcast? It just started, and it's already this thrilling?"