...
Jin City.
Nursing Home.
Vice-Directorâs Office.
Wan Zhongyuan frowned as he looked at the head of the nursing department and said, "Qin Mu... has been on leave for several days, hasnât he? Hasnât he returned yet?"
Qin Mu was originally a permanent care worker. He belonged to the nursing department but was later transferred by Wan Zhongyuan and also took on the role of legal consultant.
And now, after the recent events, he already had plans for Qin Mu to take on another role as the nursing homeâs PR officer. Even the original head of the PR department had been dismissed to clear the path for Qin Mu.
Unfortunately... Qin Mu suddenly left for overseas because of Zhang Qingyuanâs case.
"He hasnât returned yet," the director of the nursing department said softly with a wry smile. "I heard from the elderly residents that this case is quite complicated and will take some time to resolve."
Ever since Qin Mu left, he always felt the nursing home had become much quieter. The elderly residents werenât as lively as before either. It felt deathly still.
Foreign legal systems...
Wan Zhongyuanâs brow furrowed slightly upon hearing this. He was somewhat surprised.
Previously, when Qin Mu had asked for leave, he had said he was going to Ames City abroad to handle a court case. Afterward, Wan Zhongyuan had done some in-depth research into foreign law and understood that the legal system in that region was completely different from their home countryâs. They used case law. Even the trial procedures were different, employing a jury system. An average lawyer simply couldnât handle such litigation. He was even a bit worried that Qin Mu might run into trouble overseas.
After a moment of thought, he looked at the director of the nursing department before him and instructed, "You should foster good relationships with the elderly in the nursing home, see how things are going there, and let me know as soon as there is any news."
This matter... was Qin Muâs private affair. Qin Mu didnât need to inform them, and it wasnât their place to inquire. But he couldnât help being curious about it, wanting to see how a case was handled abroad.
ăAbroad. Ames City.ă
Time slowly passed. Five days later, it was the day of the pre-trial conference. The court summons issued to Zhang Qingyuan and Feng Cuihua required them to appear in court with their lawyer today for the pre-trial conference.
Early in the morning, Zhang Qingyuan and Feng Cuihua knocked on Qin Muâs door, eagerly waiting to go to court.
Feng Cuihua appeared calm. But Zhang Qingyuan... was exceptionally excited.
"Xiao Qin, hurry up! Why donât we head out now?"
Qin Mu, rubbing his bleary eyes, looked at the excited Old Zhang. He was somewhat speechless.
Itâs... only just after eight in the morning, and the court scheduled the pre-trial conference for eleven. Old Zhang is being excessively early.
With Old Zhang causing such a stir, Qin Mu lost any desire to sleep. He washed up and followed Old Zhang down to the hotel lobby.
Only then did he realize... the lobby was filled with elderly people from the tour group.
Each one of them had dark circles under their eyes. They looked at him with a hint of anxiety.
They were all worried about the upcoming pre-trial conference.
By regulation, a pre-trial conference is a rather private meeting, involving the privacy of both parties. Besides the parties involved and their lawyers, no one else is allowed to attend or observe. They could not go to the court to observe the proceedings.
And the outcome of Zhang Qingyuanâs case... would determine whether they could get their money back. If they won, they could use the opportunity to reclaim the twenty thousand yuan they had already paid to the tour group. If they lost... then they could prepare to buy plane tickets back home, accept their misfortune, and not waste any more time here.
"Letâs go."
Qin Mu drew in a deep breath upon seeing the hopeful looks in the eyes of these elderly folks.
When the time was nearly right, he set off for the local courthouse with Zhang Qingyuan and Feng Cuihua.
At ten oâclock in the morning, the group arrived at the courthouse smoothly and met Chen Tiankuo, who had been recommended by the lawyers from Jin City.
Chen Tiankuo looked at Qin Mu with a complex expression. He said nothing more of persuasion. The last time he met Qin Mu, he had said everything that needed to be said.
Now... it all depended on Qin Muâs performance. Anyway, my role is just nominal; Iâll just coast along and be a bystander.
The three of them sat in the lobby. Chen Tiankuo, feeling bored, pointed to a foreigner in a suit nearby. "That person over there, thatâs George, the top lawyer in Ames City," he said, then casually explained Georgeâs track record: "Reportedly, in his thirteen years of practice, he has taken on nearly a hundred cases. Each one caused a sensation across the city and hit the headlines. He has also successfully defended numerous criminals, arguing for their innocence and eventually securing their acquittal and release."
As he spoke of this, a hint of professional admiration couldnât help but show on his face.
Having been abroad for some time, Chen Tiankuo had interacted with George on several occasions. He knew George had a profound understanding of the case law system, was highly experienced, and had handled all kinds of cases: grievous bodily harm, murder, civil disputes, property disputes, marital litigation... Even celebrities in Ames City actively sought his help when they had disputes.
And his win rate... had always been one hundred percent! He had never lost a case! Or rather, he never took a case he wasnât confident of winning!
Especially, his defenses in several prominent murder cases were considered classics. They were widely discussed and acclaimed by his peers in Ames City.
All the evidence pointed to the accused. Just when everyone thought the suspect would be convicted, he would argue for acquittal from an unexpected angle, securing their release directly from the courtroom!