Li Mo really wanted to curse, but he had already received one warning. Another would mean a fifty-yuan fine, and a serious violation could get him removed from the hearing altogether.
There was nothing he could do. He could only force himself to calm down.
He raised his hand to speak.
"Your Honor, I object to opposing counsel's argument."
"When customers are inside a bank, the bank has the right to safeguard their safety and privacy. If a customer has not yet left the bank, their money must, of course, be treated as the bank's, because the bank must bear primary or full responsibility for the customer's losses in a robbery. Based on that allocation of responsibility, as long as the customer has not left the banking hall, the money naturally counts as the bank's!"
"There is no need to distinguish between robbing the bank and robbing a customer. Whether the robber takes money from the bank or a customer, anything within the banking hall is bank property!"
Li Mo stared fixedly at the plaintiff's counsel table, seething with resentment toward Su Bai.
Su Bai smiled unconcernedly and raised his hand to request permission to speak.
"Your Honor."
"I object to Nandu Bank's claim that, because the bank is responsible for property losses suffered by customers robbed within the banking hall before leaving it, the customers' money also constitutes bank property."
"Your Honor, this is a lawsuit from six months ago. In that case, a bank customer was withdrawing money. The moment she received it, a robber who had been lying in wait targeted her and stole her 150,000 yuan. The robber was subsequently caught, but he had already spent all the money and could not repay it."
"So the customer sought compensation from the bank and filed a lawsuit against Nandu Bank. However, the bank submitted arguments that it bore no responsibility once the money left the counter and that the customer had failed to safeguard her own property. Ultimately, the customer lost the case."
"Is this what Nandu Bank calls protecting customers' property within the banking hall? Is this the protection Nandu Bank claims customers' money enjoys before they leave the bank, with the bank bearing any losses?"
"We reject that claim."
"Your Honor, we request that the customer involved in that withdrawal be called as a witness."
Yu Caixia nodded slightly.
Bang!
The gavel came down.
"Plaintiff's counsel's request to call a witness is granted."
After she spoke, a bailiff escorted a middle-aged woman in her forties or fifties into the courtroom.
The moment the woman entered, she stared straight at Li Mo.
For some reason, Li Mo suddenly had a bad feeling.
At the bench, Yu Caixia read out the witness's information.
"Witness, your name is Wang Min, age forty-six. Is this information correct?"
Wang Min nodded emphatically. "Your Honor, I am Wang Min. That information is correct."
After confirming her identity, Yu Caixia continued, "The witness's identity has been verified. Please describe the relevant circumstances."
Hearing those words, Wang Min seemed to find an outlet for her frustration. Her voice was deafening.
"Six months ago, I deposited some money at Nandu Bank. It might not seem like much to Nandu Bank-150,000 yuan-but my husband and I had worked hard for several years to save that bride price for our son. Just after I withdrew it, some damned-!"
"Oh, sorry, Your Honor. I shouldn't swear. I mean the perpetrator."
"A perpetrator stole the money my husband and I had worked for years to save. By the time he was found, the money was gone.
We followed a lawyer's advice and sued the bank, but the bank refused to pay, saying it wasn't responsible once the money left the counter and that I hadn't looked after it properly. And I lost the case!"
"Well, today is perfect!"
"I just want to ask Nandu Bank what you mean by this. Isn't this a double standard?!
When I sued you, you said you weren't responsible once the money left the counter. Now that you're being sued, you're saying the bank must bear primary or full responsibility for money stolen from customers in the banking hall, and that, based on the allocation of responsibility, the money naturally counts as the bank's as long as the customer hasn't left the hall."
"Then shouldn't you give me back my hard-earned money? Shouldn't you?!"
"Fuck you, Nandu Bank! Give me back my money!!"
At first, Wang Min could recount what had happened calmly, but the more she spoke, the more worked up she became. Finally, she burst into a torrent of vicious curses. Even the bailiff beside her could not get her under control.
People in both the courtroom and the livestream began discussing it.
"Looking at it this way, Nandu Bank really does have double standards! On one hand, it claims to be the victim, and on the other, it's the one hurting people! Fuck!"
"Ugh, dealing with Nandu Bank is just bad luck. Other banks aren't this outrageous, are they?"
"Not sure. Everyone can leave comments here. Let's just figure out which banks to avoid!"
Viewers in both the official hearing livestream and the streams rebroadcasting it poured out complaints.
Inside the courtroom.
Seeing that the witness was struggling to control her emotions, Yu Caixia struck the gavel.
"The plaintiff's witness must control her emotions. Insulting the defendant in court is not permitted. This is your first warning."
At the presiding judge's voice, Wang Min immediately brought her emotions under control.
"Sorry, Your Honor. I failed to control my emotions in court. I'm sorry."
"Mm." Yu Caixia's expression did not change. "Wang Min, witness for the plaintiff, have you finished your testimony?"
"Yes, Your Honor. I have finished."
"Bailiff, escort the plaintiff's witness out."
After Wang Min left the courtroom, Yu Caixia turned to Li Mo.
"In response to the plaintiff's witness's allegation that Nandu Bank failed to protect customers' property within the banking hall, does the defendant, Nandu Bank, wish to provide any further explanation of the circumstances?"
Li Mo clenched his fists, forcing himself to calm down.
This lawsuit was truly agonizing for him.
He even had the feeling that he could not win.
After letting out a long breath, he regained his composure.
"Your Honor, the plaintiff's witness just insulted Nandu Bank openly in court. This gives me reason to question her mental state, so I believe her statements during this hearing are insufficient to serve as evidence."
After finishing, Li Mo noticed the slight upward curve of Su Bai's lips across from him, and a bad feeling suddenly crept over him.
Just as Yu Caixia was considering whether to grant Li Mo's request-
at that moment.
Su Bai raised his hand.
Yu Caixia noticed and asked, "Does plaintiff's counsel have something to say or anything to add?"
Su Bai smiled slightly and held up the documents in his hand. On closer inspection, there were probably a dozen or so sheets.
Li Mo looked at Su Bai in confusion.
Su Bai smiled at Li Mo, then said, "Your Honor, we agree to defense counsel's request."
"However, we have several more witnesses who can testify that Nandu Bank failed to protect customers' property inside the bank."
Everyone in the courtroom: ????
Li Mo's brows were practically knotted together. ???
Seriously, are you ever going to stop?
(End of chapter)
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