Lesson Four: Adapt to the Situation

Northern Capital.

Su Bai and Li Xuezhen left the high-speed rail station, hailed a taxi, and went straight to the Northern University of Political Science and Law, where they had arranged to meet Luo Daxiang.

Inside the law professor's office.

Luo Daxiang greeted Su Bai warmly.

"Hello, Lawyer Su."

"Hello, Teacher Luo."

Su Bai returned his greeting with equal warmth.

Luo Daxiang was not only a legal commentator but also a seasoned law professor with notable achievements in criminal law. He was mild-mannered, too.

Inside the office.

Luo Daxiang sat in his office chair, facing the sofa where Su Bai sat. Li Xuezhen was seated to Su Bai's right.

"Lawyer Su, I invited your White Jun Law Firm to take on this criminal prosecution mainly because I can't participate in the trial myself, and some of the top criminal lawyers I know were unwilling to take the case."

"It is a death penalty case, after all. Although it could raise their profiles and their firms' reputations, those top criminal lawyers don't lack either. I watched your two trials, and you did very well in both, so I tried contacting your firm."

Su Bai smiled. "The reason isn't important. What matters is that I've agreed to take the case."

"Now that I've taken it, I have a responsibility to the client."

"I already have a general understanding of the case, but I need to speak further with the client and his parents."

Luo Daxiang smiled and nodded. "The opposing counsel in this prosecution is a well-known prosecutor here in Northern Capital. Wouldn't you like to discuss it with me a little longer, Lawyer Su?"

"If you're willing to offer some pointers, Teacher Luo, I'd certainly welcome them."

Every criminal lawyer considered a case from a different angle.

Sometimes, different suggestions offered different legal approaches, and those could prove crucial during courtroom arguments.

As Luo Daxiang was a top criminal lawyer, Su Bai naturally wanted to hear his approach and perspective.

Luo Daxiang nodded slightly and continued:

"I followed this case during the first trial. I have some connection to it."

"..."

Luo Daxiang went over the case again.

It involved a young university student who had gotten into a confrontation with two aggressive men from outside the university.

While under attack from them.

He had used the knife in his hand to kill both of his attackers inside a shopping mall.

In his panic, he had also left the scene.

That last point was the most crucial of all!

He had left the scene!

Leaving the scene after killing someone was a deliberate action that seriously counted against him.

It greatly influenced the presiding judge's attitude.

At the first trial, the court found that he had intentionally killed two people, posing a grave danger, and sentenced him to death and lifelong deprivation of political rights.

Except in certain special cases, lifelong deprivation of political rights generally accompanied a death sentence, so that part was not particularly important.

Luo Daxiang then described the sequence of events in greater detail.

Su Bai nodded slightly.

"Teacher Luo, what's your view of this case...?"

"This case has attracted quite a lot of attention online. Some call it excessive self-defense, while others call it intentional homicide. Based on the first-instance court's judgment, we need to examine it from the perspective of lawful self-defense."

Su Bai nodded.

That was indeed the angle they needed to take, but he had other ideas.

This was a criminal prosecution involving two killings, both of which had directly caused the victims' deaths.

This would be tough!

Tough as it was, he already had a rough idea in mind. He just needed to confirm a few things.

At that point, Luo Daxiang offered another reminder:

"This case has attracted even more attention than the Nandu Bank Case. The Northern Capital Higher People's Court will livestream the trial."

"The prosecutor this time is very capable. At the last trial, defense counsel argued from the angles of lawful self-defense and negligent self-defense, but because of the prosecutor's arguments, neither gained the presiding judge's support. You need to prepare yourself mentally. Whatever the final outcome, I'll introduce you to legal contacts in Southern Capital afterward."

The corners of Su Bai's mouth lifted slightly. "I'm not certain this case can be ruled lawful self-defense, but it definitely won't end in a death sentence."

Since Su Bai had chosen to take on this case, he had already worked out a plan for the worst possible outcome.

Whether he could win was not the key.

The key was how much he could win.

After leaving Luo Daxiang's office, Su Bai and Li Xuezhen found a hotel and checked in.

That afternoon.

They met with the client's parents as arranged to sign the representation agreement.

During the meeting.

The client's parents stared straight at Su Bai, their eyes red.

"Lawyer Su, we're entrusting our son to you."

The two moved to kneel before him.

Su Bai hurriedly held them up. "This is my responsibility as your retained lawyer. I'll certainly do everything I can to help you win this case."

More than ten minutes passed.

At last, the two managed to steady their emotions.

They signed the representation agreement. The legal fee was modest, only twenty thousand yuan. Neither the client nor his parents could afford more, something Luo Daxiang had told Su Bai beforehand.

What Su Bai valued was not the fee for this case, but Luo Daxiang's network. Once he built those connections and brought in more cases, his legal fees would naturally rise.

His future development mattered far more than the fee for a single criminal prosecution.

"Lawyer Su, are we going to look for evidence?"

After the client's parents left, Li Xuezhen asked.

"Evidence?"

Su Bai shook his head.

"No need. The prosecution already collected it for the first trial, and they were far more thorough than we could be. We just need to pick through their evidence for details and work through the relevant legal provisions!"

In a death penalty prosecution like this, with the first-instance judgment already issued, there was no need for them to collect evidence.

They could simply look through the first trial's case files.

The crucial task was to persuade the judge through their interpretation of the law.

That was also one reason criminal prosecutions were difficult.

The evidence was conclusive!

"But we still need to meet the client."

"Then should I go out and buy some Chunghwa cigarettes?"

"Lawyer Su, I...

"Remember lesson one? Navigating social relationships, right...?"

Li Xuezhen's eyes sparkled with innocent enthusiasm.

Su Bai's mouth twitched, and he offered a word of praise. "Not bad. You remember it very clearly!"

"Then do you remember lessons two and three...?"

Pleased by his praise, Li Xuezhen smiled sweetly. "Lesson two was to do the job you're paid for. Lesson three was that the angrier the opposing lawyer gets, the greater our chances of winning!"

"Then I'll teach you lesson four now: judge the circumstances and adapt to the situation."

"Judge the circumstances and adapt to the situation...?"

Su Bai explained, "We're in Northern Capital now. It's different from Southern Capital. This isn't our turf, understand? Just follow the normal procedures. Don't bother with those little tricks."

A death row inmate!

He was under strict supervision. Could one Chunghwa cigarette really solve that?

They just needed to follow the normal procedures.

"Oh, okay, Lawyer Su. I understand!"

"Lesson four: adapt to the situation. I'll remember it!"

Her little face solemn, Li Xuezhen nodded earnestly.

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(End of chapter)