CHAPTER 134: CHAPTER 118: I’LL GIVE HIM A STROKE WITH A PUNCH_2

After all, they had been husband and wife for nearly a decade. He still couldn’t bring himself to be so heartless.

「Jin City.」

Nursing Home.

"Checkmate!"

Zhang Qingyuan once again defeated Qin Mu with his signature horse maneuver, checkmating him. He let out a hearty laugh.

"Xiao Qin, your skills in these last few games have been pretty poor. Tell me, have you been secretly dating someone lately?"

After securing his victory, Zhang Qingyuan winked, suddenly curious.

These past few days, Qin Mu was often on his phone after work. Zhang Qingyuan had inadvertently seen his screen, which showed a chat interface; Qin Mu was apparently conversing with someone. With decades of romantic experience, he was certain this person was not a man.

The corner of Qin Mu’s mouth twitched as he casually replied, "Just an online friend asking me for some legal advice."

"Just an ordinary online friend?" Zhang Qingyuan looked skeptical.

Qin Mu rolled his eyes and didn’t bother to explain further.

Ever since Qing Lan had sought his help, he had been guiding her on effective methods for asserting her rights in his spare time. Asserting one’s rights also required a meticulous approach, and Qing Lan provided him with daily updates on the case.

The court had now accepted the civil lawsuit filed by all the building’s residents. The owner of Apartment 401 who had removed the load-bearing wall, the construction crew, and the property manager had all been temporarily detained on various charges, awaiting arraignment and trial.

Overall, Qing Lan had performed quite well in this matter, successfully leading all the residents to assert their rights together.

"Up, good news! The Procuratorate has initiated a public prosecution, and the trial will be held publicly in three days!"

Reading Qing Lan’s message on his phone, Qin Mu smiled faintly, feeling that his path was not a lonely one, and that there were successors to carry on the work.

In society, there are too few people who take matters seriously. The reason online trolls were so rampant was also because too few people sued them. A few more ’major cases’ like those involving Han Suiyue and others, and they would surely ’think thrice before acting’ when posting online.

"Up, I’m still a little nervous about the trial in three days."

Not long after, Qing Lan sent another message.

Qin Mu replied indifferently, "Don’t worry. It’s unfamiliar the first time, but you’ll get used to it. You’ll be fine after attending a few more."

When he first started appearing in court, he also had much to learn. Later... he became adept, familiarizing himself with every department and agency within the court system. He even remembered the names of the judges and adjudicators clearly.

After some thought, he replied earnestly, "First, for your first court appearance, remember not to be late. Court is different from other places; being late could very well lead to a judgment by default or be considered a withdrawal of the suit."

As a defendant, that meant a judgment by default. As a plaintiff, it would be considered a withdrawal of the suit. For their civil lawsuit, this would very likely be interpreted as abandoning their claim. Even if you are late, you must inform the court beforehand, not supplement the reason afterward.

"Secondly, bring your ID, informational materials, court summons, and the statement of claim. It’s best to prepare your own written submission."

Actually, this was something their lawyer should have reminded them about. But this case was special. The Procuratorate had initiated a single prosecution against Ouyang Qian, Zhang Jiayi, and the construction crew, which was primarily a criminal proceeding. The civil suit was an ancillary one. Therefore, they needed to prepare their own written submissions.

In the course of the trial, both the plaintiff and the defendant must present their statements to the court. The plaintiff’s written submission should clearly articulate their civil claims, demands, their legitimate rights and interests, and any unfair treatment or infringement suffered, in order to gain the support of the judicial panel. It’s not that more is better; rather, it should be as concise and clear as possible.

"Finally, no matter how unreasonable or overbearing the opposing party is, never argue with them in court."

As someone who had been through it all, Qin Mu offered this piece of experienced advice. Arguing in court is considered contempt of court and a disruption of judicial proceedings. Minor infractions might affect the judge and adjudicators’ perception, while severe ones could lead to criminal detention.

In civil litigation... at least nine out of ten cases devolve into shouting matches in court. Some even escalate to physical altercations on the spot.

「Zizhou.」

A hotel room.

Qing Lan lay in bed, blinking. Reading Qin Mu’s reply, she became lost in thought.

So I need to prepare a written submission too? As a novice who had never been to court, this was the first time she’d heard about this stage of presenting arguments in a trial.

And in this case... they didn’t have a lawyer. Strictly speaking, the Procuratorate was acting as their counsel. Only after concluding the main criminal proceedings... would the prosecutors handle their civil suit. But the trial was in three days, and the Procuratorate hadn’t contacted them yet. They had to prepare on their own.

She then organized the key points Qin Mu had sent, formatted them neatly, and posted them in the rights protection group chat, tagging everyone.

"We all need to attend the trial in three days; everyone must pay attention to these matters."

As soon as the message was sent, the entire rights protection group buzzed with activity once more.

"What? Not only can we not be late, but we also can’t curse people out in court?"

"That owner of 401, the property management, and the construction crew—you’re telling me I can’t even cuss them out a bit?"

"@Group Admin, what if I lose control then?"

"I have a bit of a short fuse. I can probably stop myself from getting physical, but not cussing... that might be tough."

"..."

After reading the precautions, many residents worried they wouldn’t be able to control their emotions.

Seeing this, Qing Lan quietly typed in the group: "If you argue in court, the judge and adjudicators will have a lower opinion of you, and your claims might be discounted."