Lose? How could we possibly lose?

Chapter 3: Lose? How could we possibly lose?

The information page showed a five-figure transfer.

Sure enough, fifty thousand in cash had been transferred into his account through perfectly legal, legitimate means.

All right, system, you're badass. You really saw that one coming.

Su Bai accepted the fifty thousand and exchanged a few more pleasantries with the client.

He gathered the necessary documents and prepared to head to the court to copy the case files.

Just then, a young, innocent-looking girl with a bun walked into the firm, bouncing with every step. She looked quite young.

More precisely, she was a female student.

How could he be so sure? Because he could see that clear-eyed cluelessness in her gaze.

Here for a divorce? She doesn't look like it!

Before Su Bai could speak, she bowed at a seventy-degree angle. "Hello, Lawyer Su. I'm here to report for work."

Su Bai racked his brain and finally found information about her in the original owner's memories.

The young woman standing before him was a student at Nandu University of Law named Li Xuezhen.

She was an intern the original owner had recruited-an unpaid one. Today was her first day, and Su Bai had forgotten all about it.

"You're here! Perfect. Get yourself ready and come to the court with me."

Li Xuezhen was a top final-year student in the law department at Nandu University of Law. Her mentor was one of the legal profession's leading authorities, and his former students worked at top Red Circle firms, courts, and major companies as legal counsel.

As the final protégée of such a prominent legal expert, she was especially beloved by her teacher and her senior fellow students.

When it came time for her internship, her senior fellow students and even her teacher had all wanted to arrange a position for her.

A court or a Red Circle firm-wherever she wanted to go, all it would take was a word.

But Li Xuezhen had her own ideas. She did not want to rely on her teacher's or her senior fellow students' connections. She wanted to establish herself in the legal profession through her own abilities.

Worried that she would run into one of them at a large firm and get dragged back, she had submitted her résumé to a small firm instead, offering to work for free so she could hone her skills first.

Hearing that they were going to court right away, Li Xuezhen's eyes lit up. Her chance to prove herself had arrived. "Yes, Lawyer Su!"

On the way to the Nandu Intermediate Court.

"Lawyer Su, what kind of case are we handling this time? Are we going to court for mediation?"

Handling her first real case, Li Xuezhen was excited about the whole process and could not help asking.

Su Bai was reasonably patient with this unpaid intern who had suddenly appeared.

After all, he would be handing some of the legwork over to Li Xuezhen later. Especially since she was working for free, it gave him a guilty feeling that he was becoming a capitalist.

"A criminal case I just took on. It's reached the final appeal stage. We're going to the court to obtain the files and see how the first and second trials were decided."

A criminal case?!

Getting to work on a criminal case on her very first day thrilled Li Xuezhen, who had always dreamed of becoming a Criminal Lawyer.

Her chest rose and fell with excitement, but she composed herself and asked no further questions, quietly following Su Bai to the court.

Su Bai was familiar with court procedures. After reaching the appropriate office, he deliberately approached a female staff member.

"Hello, I'd like to obtain copies of some case files."

"Oh, of course. Please show me your documents."

The female staff member had looked impatient at first, but the arrival of such a handsome lawyer made her much more enthusiastic about helping.

After Su Bai submitted the necessary documents and identification, it took only half an hour to copy the files from both trials.

There was no helping it-even lawyers had to get by on their looks. It saved a lot of trouble.

Once he had the files, Su Bai casually handed them to Li Xuezhen. "Put these away safely. Don't lose them. We'll read them once we're back at the firm." "Yes, Lawyer Su!"

"Yes, Mr. Su!"

Li Xuezhen carefully took the files and put them in her bag.

After they returned to the firm, Su Bai took out the first-trial files and handed the second-trial files to Li Xuezhen.

"Summarize the issues raised by the prosecution in the second trial. I'll look at them in a bit."

"Yes, Lawyer Su! But our lawyer's defense arguments and the issues he raised are important too. Don't those need summarizing?"

Li Xuezhen asked the question with an innocent, bright-eyed look.

What's there to read in that silver-tongued guy's remarks?

Su Bai shook his head. "Read the files first."

Li Xuezhen nodded and did not press further. She lowered her head and began reading.

As soon as she read the first page, she understood why Su Bai had not asked her to summarize their lawyer's defense arguments!

Normally, the issues raised by their own lawyer were important too, but Li Xuezhen had seen this case before!

One of her senior fellow students, who had graduated years earlier, had been the presiding judge who ruled on it!

At the time, that senior student had presided over the second trial and also felt that the sentence handed down in the first trial had been somewhat harsh.

She had even thought that if the defendant's lawyer-the lawyer representing Wang Zizhong's side-could offer some sound defense arguments, she could exercise her discretion to amend the judgment and reduce the sentence.

But unexpectedly, when faced with questions from the plaintiff's lawyer and the presiding judge, that lawyer had only nodded and murmured assent. He had spoken just three sentences throughout the entire proceeding.

Damn it, wasn't that just a lawyer scamming people out of their money?

In the end, the original judgment had been upheld.

Li Xuezhen was a little worried. Identical judgments in the first and second trials would affect their application for a final appeal.

At the same time, those identical judgments would also weigh heavily on the final ruling, unless there was some crucial, game-changing new evidence or reasoning.

Otherwise... the original judgment would most likely be upheld again.

Was the very first case of my internship going to fall apart just like that?

Li Xuezhen felt uneasy. She had paid particular attention to the prosecutor in this case, who was reportedly formidable!

The bank's in-house legal team had also said that if the other side appealed again, they would take it very seriously!

She had even specifically asked a senior fellow student who specialized in criminal cases. His answer was that the bank's legal team was going all out. Without game-changing evidence and arguments, winning was impossible. They might not only lose but even face a harsher sentence.

Her very first case was already dead in the water.

Despair spread through Li Xuezhen's heart.

Su Bai closed the files, already confident in his assessment. Having read them, he was almost certain how the case would turn out.

"Let's go."

Li Xuezhen had still been immersed in despair over their inability to win when Su Bai suddenly interrupted her. Now she was completely confused.

"Go? Where?"

"We've more or less established the nature of this case. Let's meet Wang Zizhong's son and those suspects, and hear what they have to say."

"Are we going to lose? We haven't even started arguing the case yet. This case really is difficult, Lawyer Su. Stay strong."

Su Bai: ...

What a joke. The word "lose" wasn't in his dictionary!

"Lose? Wang Zizhong's son never committed robbery. How could we possibly lose?"

"Huh? He didn't commit robbery? Mr. Su, what do you mean?"

"You'll find out when the hearing starts. For now, it's a secret."

The corners of Su Bai's mouth lifted slightly. Brimming with confidence, he strode forward.

Although Li Xuezhen was curious about what Su Bai had said, she did not ask any more questions. She hurried after him with bouncing steps.

(End of chapter)