Too Bad I Take Things Seriously

"Well said, UP! Why should others' happiness be built on my suffering, and why can't I build my happiness on the suffering of others?!"

"Right! If it were me, I wouldn't accept the apology either. An insincere, bare apology—what good is that? Unless more money is added!"

"UP really didn't disappoint us! So the trolls know to apologize now? Why didn't they think about this when they were insulting others?"

"..."

This court hearing link... Qing Lan was the one who sent it to the group.

Her viewers hadn't really believed it when they heard that Qin Mu had sued 3,200 people.

It wasn't until she sent out the link that these viewers believed this outrageous fact.

Across all internet platforms, those "top-level trolls" were currently gathered at Jin City Court, undergoing trial.

As soon as the trial began, the trolls collectively apologized.

The live broadcast scene was extremely satisfying. Some had even screen-recorded this segment, planning to watch it repeatedly whenever they felt down.

In this day and age, apologies from trolls could almost be considered a world wonder.

Online, even if they insulted the wrong person, at most, they would go into hiding, never resurfacing. Never before had anyone seen trolls voluntarily apologize to their victims after the truth had emerged.

「Jin City Court.」

「Waiting Room 17.」

These waiting rooms were temporarily numbered. Each room contained one hundred defendants awaiting their hearing.

Outside the waiting rooms, a live video feed of the court proceedings ensured that each person was "fully participating" in the judicial process.

At this moment, Yuan Cui Lian and Xia Qingqing were sitting side-by-side, watching the scene on the video, their emotions incredibly complex.

Qin Mu had actually sued 3,200 people!

The courthouse was already packed.

These defendants... had all once been staunch supporters in their video comment sections; all had verbally assaulted Qin Mu and the three others.

After learning this nearly unbelievable news, they now didn't dare reveal their true identities. They feared that these 'teammates,' should a disagreement arise, might subject them to verbal or even physical violence.

After hiring Qi ZhaoYu as their defense attorney, they also joined the 'Defendants' Group Chat.' In the group chat, the frequently discussed topics were how to reach a settlement, how to avoid sentencing, and... how to find the video's original poster!

Many people blamed them for the predicament they were all in. They believed that if Yuan Cui Lian and Xia Qingqing hadn't posted the video, they wouldn't have gotten involved, wouldn't have engaged in cyberbullying, and certainly wouldn't have ended up offending Qin Mu.

「Meanwhile.」

「The Second Criminal Court.」

"We will not forgive a single one of the 3,200 defendants!"

Zhou Quanmin listened to Qin Mu's statement and sighed lightly. He had anticipated this outcome.

While this was the best approach, he knew he wasn't in a position to ask the victims for magnanimity. What the victims had experienced... others could never truly comprehend.

"Next, we will proceed to the evidence presentation and defense arguments phase."

He took a deep breath and continued to preside over the current court session according to procedure.

Following that, Qin Mu submitted the screenshots he had collected, data provided with the procuratorate's cooperation, information on exposure levels, and more, item by item.

Zhang Wei then stood up. He didn't refute this evidence, which had already been verified and notarized. Instead, he analyzed each defendant individually, searching for suitable angles for sentence reduction. For minors, he argued for mitigation based on their age. For pregnant women, he argued for mitigation based on their condition. For those who had merely reposted content from others, he argued for acquittal from that angle…

The court clerk, meanwhile, meticulously recorded the entire trial proceedings, including each person's testimony, statements, and defense arguments.

「Four o'clock in the afternoon.」

All one hundred defendants had made their final statements, and their cases were concluded. The entire process, from start to finish, took six hours. The proceedings were not swift.

「At the same time.」

The court's leadership, considering the 3,200 defendants, made an ad hoc decision: activate additional courtrooms. Other Judgment Chiefs were to draw personnel, form their respective collegial panels, and conduct simultaneous trials for the remaining defendants awaiting hearings.

A total of six courtrooms were activated: three criminal trial courts and three civil trial courts. Some courtrooms handled one hundred defendants at a time, while others handled ten.

「Suddenly.」

The entire courthouse began to bustle with activity. From the Judgment Chiefs to the judges, clerks, and bailiffs, everyone began working overtime, striving to expedite the conclusion of the trial involving all 3,200 defendants.

After this decision was made... Qin Mu and his three colleagues, as the plaintiffs, became as busy as bees. To ensure the fairness and impartiality of the trials, they needed to rush between the six courtrooms, attending hearings, making statements, and refuting arguments.

「Six o'clock in the afternoon.」

The day's court sessions concluded. Exhausted, Qin Mu and his three companions walked out of the courthouse.

"Mr. Qin... shouldn't we forgive them?"

Liang Chengbin gave a wry smile. He felt a pang of regret.

For the first six hours, they had been in a single courtroom, which was relatively manageable. But the last two hours required them to shuttle between six different courtrooms, participating in proceedings, presenting their case, and defending their rights.

While not forgiving these trolls was satisfying, it also meant... they would now have to deal with three thousand defendants.