Chapter Summaries

Su Bai argued that Wang Yuan’s concealment of Wu Guoxing’s violent behavior and her failure to seek help established a causal link to Fang Zhihui’s death. Wang Yuan struggled to answer the judge’s questions, and the hearing recessed with the panel set to deliberate on the case.

• Su Bai argued that Wang Yuan knew Wu Guoxing posed a danger, concealed the situation from Fang Zhihui, and therefore bore responsibility for her death.
• Su Bai questioned why Wang Yuan had not called the police or sought help during the ten minutes after Wu Guoxing committed the crime.
• Zhou Guangyu questioned Wang Yuan, who claimed she could not remember why she had asked Fang Zhihui to intervene and said she had been too scared to call for help afterward.
• Zhou Guangyu asked the parties whether they had further evidence; they had none, so he recessed the hearing.
• Su Bai believed the objective evidence established Wang Yuan’s criminal responsibility, while Wang Kai regretted not requesting a ten-year sentence.

During the recess, the Collegial Panel agreed that Wu Guoxing’s first-instance judgment should be overturned and debated whether Wang Yuan’s negligence warranted a sentence above the Prosecution’s two-year recommendation. After the hearing resumed, Su Bai argued for life imprisonment for Wu Guoxing, and the proceedings turned to Wang Yuan’s sentencing.

• Wang Manhua asked Wei Hao whether the recess meant a sentence was imminent, and Wei Hao explained that the Collegial Panel was discussing the case and the sentence remained uncertain.
• Zhou Guangyu, Yang Qifan, and Li Peng agreed to overturn Wu Guoxing’s first-instance judgment and discussed whether his offense justified life imprisonment or a death sentence with reprieve.
• Li Peng and Yang Qifan concluded that Wang Yuan’s conduct involved more serious circumstances, citing her failure to call for help for nearly forty minutes and questioning the Prosecution’s two-year recommendation.
• After the recess, Su Bai argued that Wu Guoxing should receive life imprisonment because he had killed Fang Zhihui without great enmity or provocation.
• Ye Hua cited Wu Guoxing’s agitated state and voluntary surrender as grounds for leniency, but Wu Guoxing said he had nothing further to add.
• Zhou Guangyu moved the hearing to Wang Yuan’s sentencing arguments, with the panel set to determine whether her negligence involved more serious circumstances.

Su Bai argued that Wang Yuan bore criminal responsibility for her role in Fang Zhihui’s death, and the court sentenced Wu Guoxing to life imprisonment and Wang Yuan to four years in prison. Wang Yuan rejected the judgment and threatened to seek supervisory review and a prosecution protest.

• Su Bai explained Wang Yuan’s liability, citing her failure to warn Fang Zhihui, report Wu Guoxing’s crime, or call for help, while Wei Hao’s rebuttal lacked objective support.
• Wu Guoxing pleaded guilty, accepted whatever sentence the court imposed, and apologized to Xie Jingmei, who refused to respond.
• Wang Yuan pleaded with Xie Jingmei for forgiveness and offered to become her goddaughter, but Su Bai objected and Judge Zhou Guangyu stopped her statement.
• Wang Kai recommended four years for Wang Yuan, and Su Bai told the court that Wang Yuan had shown no remorse toward Xie Jingmei.
• Zhou Guangyu overturned Wu Guoxing’s eight-year sentence and sentenced him to life imprisonment, then sentenced Wang Yuan to four years for negligent responsibility in Fang Zhihui’s death and delayed assistance.
• Wang Yuan protested the judgment and threatened to seek supervisory review and ask the prosecution to lodge a protest.

Wang Yuan and Wu Guoxing received their sentences, but both families rejected the outcomes and considered further legal action. After Wang Yuan’s account was deleted and news of her four-year sentence spread online, her parents found a lawyer who guaranteed he could win her appeal.

• Zhou Guangyu told Wang Yuan she could request supervisory review, then court police restrained her as the judges left.
• Wang Yuan’s parents blamed their lawyer and vowed to appeal, while Wu Jianlei and Li Xin questioned Ye Hua after Wu Guoxing received life imprisonment.
• Xie Jingmei thanked Su Bai, who applied to have Wang Yuan’s social media account deleted after the judgment was issued.
• Wang Yuan’s fans learned she had been sentenced to four years for negligently causing death, and the news spread to trending searches.
• Wang Yuan’s parents struggled to find a lawyer willing to take the appeal until Xu Li found one who guaranteed a win, and Wang Manhua agreed to pay the fees upfront.

Wang Manhua hired Yang Qiang for Wang Yuan’s second appeal after he promised a near-certain acquittal, but the court upheld her four-year sentence and Yang denied ever guaranteeing a win. As Su Bai watched the fallout, Luo Daxiang sent him a controversial intentional-homicide case seeking a death-penalty defense, and Su Bai agreed to take it.

• Wang Manhua and Xu Li hired Yang Qiang for Wang Yuan’s second appeal after he assured them they had a ninety-percent chance of winning.
• Yang Qiang secured a retrial by submitting further grounds and seeking openings through Wu Guoxing, but the court rejected his arguments for lack of concrete evidence.
• The court upheld Wang Yuan’s four-year sentence, and Yang Qiang denied promising an acquittal, arguing that their contract required only representation.
• Wang Manhua accused Yang Qiang of cheating him, while livestream viewers discussed the lawyer’s practice of charging desperate clients high fees without guaranteeing results in writing.
• Su Bai watched the hearing’s livestream end, and Wang Kexin and Li Xuezhen celebrated Wang Yuan’s sentence at Nandu University of Law.
• Luo Daxiang sent Su Bai a case involving intentional homicide and a prosecution recommendation of the death penalty, and Su Bai agreed to defend the accused.

Su Bai took on the high-profile Insulting Mother Case and prepared to travel to the Northern Capital. Li Xuezhen graduated, chose to stay at White Jun Law Firm, moved in next door to Su Bai, and joined him for the case.

• Su Bai accepted Luo Daxiang’s case and asked Li Xuezhen to review the information while offering her time to rest.
• Li Xuezhen completed her thesis defense, and Su Bai confirmed that he would honor his promise to make her a partner when she qualified.
• Feng Lijian invited Li Xuezhen to consider jobs at Red Circle Law Firms, but she chose to remain at White Jun Law Firm.
• After graduating, Li Xuezhen rented a place next door to Su Bai so she could commute to work with him.
• Su Bai told Li Xuezhen to pack for a trip to the Northern Capital, where they would begin handling the case.

Su Bai took on Chen Bin’s defense after hearing how Chen Bin had killed two debt collectors while protecting his mother, He Lijuan. He began gathering evidence and interviewing Chen Bin, who agreed to cooperate after Su Bai told him a death sentence was not inevitable.

• Su Bai met He Lijuan, heard her account of the debt collectors’ abuse and Chen Bin’s deadly response, and accepted the case after she signed an authorization.
• He Lijuan told Su Bai that she feared Chen Bin would receive the death penalty, and he assured her White Jun Law Firm would do everything possible to help.
• At Xiushui Subdistrict Detention Center, Chen Bin said he expected to be sentenced to death and asked to see his mother, but Su Bai explained that the circumstances of the killings could affect his sentence.
• Chen Bin agreed to cooperate, and Su Bai questioned him before obtaining his statement and investigation documents through proper procedures.
• Back at the hotel, Li Xuezhen asked whether she should visit Su Bai’s room, but he sent her away with documents to organize for the next morning.

Su Bai prepared Chen Bin’s defense and requested supervisory review before the trial, then faced a highly publicized hearing in the Northern Capital Intermediate Court. The prosecution demanded the death penalty for Chen Bin, and Su Bai waited to present his response.

• Su Bai gave Li Xuezhen documents to submit for supervisory review before Chen Bin’s trial began.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen arrived at the courthouse, where reporters questioned Su Bai about his defense and the case’s public significance.
• Li Xuezhen told Su Bai that online posts described the victims as illegal debt collectors and raised questions about law enforcement; Su Bai said he expected the supervisory review to clarify matters.
• The court convened with Presiding Judge Song Yuanhui, Judges Shi Jiaming and Meng Hao, prosecutor Lü An, and the victims’ representatives.
• Lü An argued that Chen Bin intentionally killed Li Fei and Xu Bing and seriously injured three others, then recommended the death penalty.
• Su Bai smiled at Lü An’s doubts and waited for the judge to invite the defense to speak.

At Chen Bin’s trial, Su Bai pleaded not guilty and argued that Chen Bin’s attack was justifiable self-defense after debt collectors humiliated his mother, He Lijuan. Su Bai challenged the prosecution’s claim that Chen Bin had intended to kill, and the hearing ended with Chen Bin uncertain about what he had told law enforcement.

• The victims’ representatives requested criminal responsibility and compensation from Chen Bin.
• Su Bai rejected the intentional homicide charge and pleaded not guilty, claiming Chen Bin had acted in justifiable self-defense.
• Lü An argued that Chen Bin had formed an intent to kill and that the attack did not qualify as self-defense.
• Su Bai demanded evidence for Lü An’s claim about Chen Bin’s intent, arguing that the submitted records did not support it.
• Song Yuanhui questioned Chen Bin, who recalled saying he wanted to protect his mother but was unsure whether officers had recorded his answers in a written statement.

During Chen Bin’s hearing, Su Bai challenged the court’s finding that Chen had intended to commit homicide, arguing that his actions were meant to protect his mother rather than kill. The collegial panel adjourned for half an hour to discuss Chen’s intent, leaving Su Bai uncertain how it would rule.

• Song Yuanhui found that Chen Bin’s statement about having thoughts of killing supported a finding of intent to commit intentional homicide, and Lü An raised no objection.
• Su Bai objected that Chen’s earlier thoughts did not establish his intent while carrying out the acts, and Song Yuanhui accepted the defense’s objection.
• Su Bai questioned Chen Bin, who said he had acted to stop the men from bullying his mother and had not intended to kill them when he picked up the knife.
• Su Bai argued that Chen’s actions were defensive and that he had neither desired nor accepted the deaths, then asked the panel to determine his intent on that basis.
• Song Yuanhui, Shi Jiaming, and Meng Hao adjourned the hearing for half an hour to discuss the issue, while Su Bai worried about the panel’s eventual decision.

During Chen Bin’s hearing, Su Bai argued that Chen Bin had acted in justifiable self-defense to protect He Lijuan from escalating abuse and unlawful restraint, while the prosecution maintained that Chen Bin had intended to kill. After weighing both arguments, presiding judge Song Yuanhui formed an idea about the ruling, but the role of the law enforcement officers remained unresolved.

• During recess, Song Yuanhui questioned Meng Hao and Shi Jiaming about Su Bai’s self-defense argument, and Meng Hao urged the panel to reconsider Chen Bin’s case from that perspective.
• After the hearing resumed, Lü An argued that Chen Bin’s attack was not self-defense because Li Fei and Xu Bing had not unlawfully harmed him and Chen Bin’s testimony did not establish his lack of criminal intent.
• Su Bai countered that Li Fei and Xu Bing had escalated from insulting He Lijuan to pulling and restraining her, violating her freedom and dignity, and that Chen Bin had called law enforcement before taking further action.
• Song Yuanhui compared the arguments and noted that Chen Bin’s call to law enforcement could undermine the prosecution’s claim that he intended to commit homicide, then considered the officers’ role in the case.

The court ruled that Chen Bin had no subjective intent to commit an intentional crime after considering his call to the police, leaving intentional homicide off the table. Su Bai argued that Chen Bin had acted in justifiable self-defense, while prosecutor Lü An contended that the deaths and injuries amounted to excessive self-defense, leaving the court to decide the issue.

• Presiding Judge Song Yuanhui ruled that Chen Bin had no subjective intent, citing his lack of action when hatred first arose and his subsequent call to the police.
• Su Bai and Lü An both accepted the ruling, while the victims’ relatives asked their lawyers whether it would affect their compensation.
• Chen Bin and his mother He Lijuan celebrated the ruling, while viewers in Luo Daxiang’s livestream debated the case and the debt collectors’ conduct.
• Song Yuanhui asked Su Bai to explain why Chen Bin’s actions qualified as justifiable self-defense, and Su Bai argued that the unlawful infringement on Chen Bin’s and He Lijuan’s freedom and dignity had been ongoing.
• Lü An argued that Chen Bin’s use of a knife, which caused two deaths and three serious injuries, clearly exceeded the limits of self-defense and asked the court to impose a severe sentence.

Su Bai argued that Chen Bin’s knife attack was justified self-defense because Li Fei, Xu Bing, and the others illegally entered his home and escalated their abuse of Chen Bin and He Lijuan. During deliberations, Song Yuanhui and Meng Hao weighed excessive self-defense against the intruders’ numbers and escalating conduct, and postponed their judgment until a later stage of court statements.

• Su Bai argued that Li Fei, Xu Bing, and the others’ unlawful entry, threats, and assaults supported finding Chen Bin’s actions to be justifiable self-defense.
• Lü An acknowledged the unlawful entry but maintained that Chen Bin’s actions exceeded the necessary limits and constituted excessive self-defense.
• Song Yuanhui recessed the hearing after both sides said they had nothing further to add.
• In the Discussion Room, Meng Hao said Chen Bin’s actions likely constituted excessive self-defense because they caused two deaths and three serious injuries, while Shi Jiaming called for a heavy sentence.
• Song Yuanhui asked whether more than ten intruders could have endangered Chen Bin and He Lijuan if their unlawful conduct continued, then decided to wait for further court statements before ruling.

The court ruled that Chen Bin had used excessive self-defense and sentenced him to one year and six months in prison, suspended for two years, rejecting the intentional homicide charge. Chen Bin and He Lijuan were relieved, while Su Bai looked ahead to his next case.

• After the parties gave their final statements, Lü An argued that Chen Bin’s defense had exceeded legal limits, while Su Bai argued that Li Fei and the others had seriously violated Chen Bin and He Lijuan’s dignity and freedoms.
• Song Yuanhui announced that Chen Bin’s actions were excessive self-defense, dismissed the intentional homicide charge, and imposed a suspended sentence of one year and six months.
• The court deferred the victims’ families’ civil compensation claim to negotiations after the hearing and adjourned.
• Su Bai accepted the verdict as a win, and Li Xuezhen eagerly told him she was looking forward to the next case.
• Lü An decided that there was no major problem with the ruling, while Chen Bin thanked the court and Su Bai and promised not to act impulsively again.

After Chen Bin received a two-year suspended sentence, Su Bai helped him pursue claims over illegal lending and reported misconduct connected to the case. The authorities opened investigations and prepared public prosecutions, leaving Su Bai and Li Xuezhen readying for another hearing.

• Chen Bin and He Lijuan thanked Su Bai for his defense, and Su Bai told them the authorities had begun investigating the people involved in the debt collection at their home.
• Su Bai explained that Chen Bin could sue the lending company over unlawful interest, and Chen Bin later retained White Jun Law Firm for the case.
• Reporters questioned Su Bai about the verdict and self-defense, but he left without answering; Chen Bin spoke with reporters, and news coverage sparked online debate about why his calls to the police had not prevented the incident.
• Netizens connected the supervisory review to Su Bai, while Li Xuezhen’s replies on the firm’s account helped draw attention to the case.
• Su Bai assigned the lending lawsuit to Xu Xiang and learned that the Northern Capital Intermediate Court would prosecute relevant individuals; he told Chen Bin another hearing was approaching, exciting Li Xuezhen.

Song Yuanhui accepted the assignment to preside over the dereliction-of-duty case connected to Chen Bin’s trial, while Su Bai prepared for the hearing and agreed to make public legal-education videos. With the hearing approaching, accused official Xie Liang hoped the prosecution would fail to prove the charge.

• Vice President Li Li persuaded Song Yuanhui to serve as lead judge in the dereliction-of-duty case, which was linked to Chen Bin’s trial.
• Liang Xingyuan learned that investigations and public attention were disrupting his lending and debt-collection business, and that his collection contractor demanded compensation after its workers were arrested.
• Li Xuezhen told Su Bai that White Jun Law Firm’s short-video account had nearly a hundred thousand followers and asked him to share basic legal knowledge; Su Bai agreed to record educational videos periodically.
• Su Bai reviewed the case materials and understood that the hearing would address the officials’ alleged dereliction of duty and the debt collectors who had entered Chen Bin’s home.
• Xie Liang’s lawyer told him that the dereliction-of-duty charge would be difficult to establish and that he might be acquitted; Xie Liang regretted helping Liang Xingyuan and blamed Chen Bin and Su Bai as he waited for the hearing.

Su Bai, Li Xuezhen, and Chen Bin attended the closed hearing against Xie Liang and his colleagues, where the prosecution accused them of dereliction of duty and improper ties to a loan company. The defense argued that the men had fulfilled their duties, and the chapter ended with Su Bai telling Chen Bin to wait for a chance to give his supplementary account.

• Su Bai brought Li Xuezhen to Northern Capital ahead of the hearing and told her to rest instead of continuing to discuss the case.
• Song Yuanhui opened the hearing at the Northern Capital Intermediate Court, with Wang Jin and Li Ketao representing the prosecution and Jiang Donglin representing Xie Liang, Li Wanjia, and Xu Botao.
• Wang Jin accused Xie Liang and the others of failing to protect Chen Bin and He Lijuan, and alleged that Xie Liang's ties and calls with the loan company owner pointed to favoritism and fraud.
• Jiang Donglin argued that the defendants had responded promptly, mediated the verbal abuse, and had no legal duty to remove the debt collectors.
• Chen Bin became angry when he realized the debt collectors had left his home just before Xie Liang arrived, and Su Bai told him he would soon have a chance to give a supplementary account.

At Xie Liang’s trial, Su Bai challenged his claim that he had not known debt collectors had entered Chen Bin’s home, focusing on his call with Liang Xingyuan and the collectors’ departure. Li Wanjia and Xu Botao then testified that Xie Liang ignored warnings about the danger to Chen Bin and He Lijuan, leaving Xie Liang isolated as the proceedings continued.

• Su Bai questioned Xie Liang about calling Liang Xingyuan before arriving and argued that the call had prompted Li Fei and the debt collectors to leave Chen Bin’s home and avoid an unlawful-entry charge.
• Xie Liang said he had called Liang Xingyuan only because they knew each other and claimed he lacked evidence that Li Fei’s group had entered the home.
• Judge Song Yuanhui summarized that Xie Liang had disclosed information to Liang Xingyuan and had disregarded Chen Bin’s claim of unlawful entry.
• Li Wanjia testified that Xie Liang stopped her from recording Chen Bin’s allegation and refused her requests to warn or remove the debt collectors despite her concern for Chen Bin and He Lijuan’s safety.
• Xu Botao confirmed that Li Wanjia had raised those concerns, while Xie Liang watched anxiously as his colleagues’ testimony undermined his account.

At Xie Liang’s trial, Li Wanjia and Xu Botao’s testimony and the circumstantial evidence established that he had neglected his duties while handling Chen Bin’s dispute. The court sentenced Xie Liang to two years in prison, ruled that Li Wanjia and Xu Botao were not guilty of the same offense, and left Xie Liang protesting the verdict.

• Song Yuanhui questioned Xie Liang about ignoring Li Wanjia’s warnings and stopping her from recording Chen Bin’s account, while Xie Liang claimed he had only wanted to resolve the dispute quickly.
• Wang Jin recommended a two-year sentence for Xie Liang and more lenient treatment for Li Wanjia and Xu Botao, while Jiang Donglin argued for reduced or waived punishment and Su Bai urged the court to consider the serious consequences.
• During deliberations, Song Yuanhui and Meng Hao agreed that the evidence proved Xie Liang’s negligence in public office and that Li Wanjia and Xu Botao did not meet the conditions for that offense.
• Song Yuanhui sentenced Xie Liang to two years in prison and ruled that Li Wanjia and Xu Botao had committed no crime of negligence in public office.
• After the court also announced sentences for the debt collectors, Xie Liang protested that he alone had been punished and accused the court of possible wrongdoing.

After Xie Liang was convicted alone for dereliction of duty, Su Bai and Li Xuezhen pursued a case against Wandai Co., Ltd. over its illegal lending practices. Their victory drew public and official scrutiny, and Liang Xingyuan and the company’s debt collectors were taken away for investigation.

• Xie Liang asked Jiang Donglin to seek a supervisory review, but Jiang terminated their agreement and left the courtroom.
• Li Xuezhen felt disappointed that only Xie Liang had been convicted, while Su Bai noted that Xie Liang’s case was still under investigation through Liang Xingyuan.
• Xu Xiang presented evidence and borrower testimony in He Lijuan’s lawsuit against Wandai Co., Ltd., and the company lost the trial.
• Xu Xiang requested a supervisory review of Wandai, and public discussion of its lending practices drew the attention of the relevant authorities.
• Liang Xingyuan tried to leave after seeing the rising online attention, but law enforcement officers took him away for investigation.
• The authorities also took action against Wandai’s debt collectors, and Li Xuezhen celebrated that the whole group had been caught.