Chapter Summaries

At Wang Wenyuan’s trial, his lawyer Wu Zhen argued that Wang should be treated as an accomplice because Zhang Dali initiated the sexual assault and murder. Su Bai countered that Wang organized the crime and remained a principal offender alongside Zhang Dali, leaving Wu Zhen fearing the judge would accept Su Bai’s argument.

• Wang He recalled his failed attempts to influence the case and hoped the court would accept his son’s defense.
• Wu Zhen argued that Zhang Dali planned the sexual assault and murder, so Wang Wenyuan should be classified as an accomplice.
• Presiding Judge Lü Penghui questioned Wang Wenyuan, who claimed he had gone to Yang Fan’s home for excitement and had not initially intended to commit the charged crimes.
• Yang Tiejun grew angry at Wang’s testimony, but Su Bai and Li Xuezhen reassured him that Wang would not be treated as an accomplice.
• Su Bai argued that Wang organized the group’s actions and supported Zhang Dali’s later proposals, so both men could be principal offenders.
• Wu Zhen suspected that Lü Penghui would accept Su Bai’s argument.

The Collegial Panel ruled that Wang Wenyuan was the criminal group’s principal offender, rejecting his defense counsel’s request to classify him as an accessory, while Zhang Dali, Zhang Liang, and Yu Wei were ruled accessories. Su Bai said the defendants would most likely receive death sentences, and Li Xuezhen welcomed the prospect as the ruling left the case’s punishment to be decided.

• Lü Penghui questioned Zhang Liang about Zhang Dali’s standing and confirmed that Wang Wenyuan could overrule him and stop the group from committing crimes.
• Wu Zhen declined to make further arguments, while Wang He repeatedly signaled for him to challenge the court and was warned by Lü Penghui to keep order.
• Lü Penghui ruled that Wang Wenyuan was a principal offender and that Zhang Dali, Zhang Liang, and Yu Wei were accessories.
• Wang He despaired after the ruling, and viewers watching the livestream approved of the court’s reasoning.
• Li Xuezhen asked Su Bai whether all four defendants might receive death sentences, and Su Bai said that was the most likely outcome.

At the sentencing stage of the trial for the murders of Yang Fan and Hu Yunyun, defense lawyer Wu Zhen argued for leniency for Wang Wenyuan and suggested Yang Fan had provoked the defendants. Prosecutor Li Xiong and victims’ lawyer Su Bai rejected the arguments, and the chapter left the court weighing the defendants’ sentences.

• Presiding Judge Lü Penghui invited the four defendants to present any grounds for lighter sentences after confirming their crimes and roles.
• Wu Zhen argued that Wang Wenyuan’s recent adulthood and voluntary surrender warranted leniency, then suggested Yang Fan’s resistance had provoked the defendants’ emotions.
• Yang Tiejun angrily objected to Wu Zhen’s remarks, and Lü Penghui ordered him to control his emotions.
• Li Xiong rejected the defense’s arguments and maintained that all four defendants should receive the death penalty.
• Su Bai challenged Wu Zhen to identify any legal basis for assigning Yang Fan responsibility and argued that the defendants alone must bear responsibility for their crimes.

The court rejected key arguments from Wang Wenyuan’s defense and adjourned the trial for further review before sentencing. The Collegial Panel’s discussion supported sentencing Wang Wenyuan to death despite his voluntary surrender, and Lü Penghui prepared to consult the Judicial Committee.

• Lü Penghui rejected the defense’s arguments that Wang Wenyuan’s recent adulthood and the victims’ conduct mitigated responsibility, while noting voluntary surrender as the remaining mitigating claim.
• The court adjourned until the next day, when it would hear statements and announce sentences; Su Bai told Yang Tiejun that death sentences for all four defendants were likely.
• Wang He asked Wu Zhen what could be done, and Wu Zhen urged him to prepare for the possibility of a severe sentence.
• Lü Penghui, Ye Duan, and Liu Yang reviewed whether Wang Wenyuan’s voluntary surrender justified a suspended death sentence, and Ye Duan and Liu Yang argued that the crimes warranted death.
• Lü Penghui agreed with their position and said he would present the case to the court president and Judicial Committee.

The court heard final statements in the case against Zhang Liang, Zhang Dali, Yu Wei, and Wang Wenyuan, then sentenced all four to death. Wang He watched the verdict and resolved to use every means available to try to save his son.

• Lü Penghui received Judge Zhang's confirmation to proceed with a judgment based on the law, regardless of the case's public impact.
• At the resumed hearing, Li Xiong argued that the four defendants should receive the death penalty, while Wu Zhen asked the court to consider Wang Wenyuan's remorse and claimed the defendants had been provoked.
• Wang Wenyuan apologized to Yang Tiejun and begged for forgiveness, but Yang Tiejun refused to respond.
• Su Bai rejected Wu Zhen's claims about emotional provocation and said they had no legal basis and blamed the victims.
• Lü Penghui sentenced Zhang Liang, Zhang Dali, Yu Wei, and Wang Wenyuan to death and deprived them of political rights for life.
• Wang He saw his son's panic and vowed to do whatever it took to save him.

After the court sentenced all four defendants to death, Yang Tiejun found some comfort in the verdict while Wang He schemed to save his son, Wang Wenyuan. The Supreme People's Court approved the death sentences, leaving Wang He focused on a last chance to interfere with the execution.

• Yang Tiejun broke down after hearing the four defendants had been sentenced to death, while Su Bai let him grieve.
• Wang He asked Wu Zhen about appealing Wang Wenyuan's sentence, but Wu said the chances of success were negligible.
• Wang He promised Wang Wenyuan he would find a way to save him, then asked Li Jian for help interfering during the execution; Li Jian rebuked him and ended the call.
• The Supreme People's Court approved the death sentences for Zhang Liang, Zhang Dali, Yu Wei, and Wang Wenyuan.
• Yang Tiejun thanked Su Bai and Li Xuezhen and said he planned to attend the executions to say goodbye to Yang Fan and Hu Yunyun.
• After learning the review had been approved, Wang He told himself the execution was his last chance to save Wang Wenyuan.

Wang He failed to use his connections to save Wang Wenyuan, who was executed alongside three other defendants, while the case’s fallout prompted a provincial investigation into officials in Dashui City. Su Bai’s case progress reached 82%, and Li Xuezhen later brought him a disturbing new case involving the sexual assault and murder of a young girl.

• Wang He learned from Li that the official backing him would not intervene, and Wang He’s construction projects would be stopped.
• Wang He told Wang Wenyuan that no one could save him, and Wang Wenyuan angrily demanded that his father find another way.
• Su Bai, Yang Tiejun, and Li Xuezhen attended the execution of Zhang Liang, Zhang Dali, Yu Wei, and Wang Wenyuan.
• Online claims about Wang Wenyuan’s family connections led provincial supervisory authorities to investigate the case and arrest key figures in Dashui City; Su Bai’s system progress rose to 82%.
• Feng Lijian and Old Li asked Li Xuezhen about her relationship with Su Bai, and she called them very close friends while privately hoping to become Su Bai’s partner and wife.
• Li Xuezhen sent Su Bai another case, and he discovered it involved an adult man who had sexually assaulted and murdered a girl under ten and defrauded a single mother.

Su Bai agreed that White Jun Law Firm would represent Feng Yunxia for free in the trial over her young daughter’s assault and murder. The case’s key dispute was whether the killer’s surrender and meritorious service could mitigate his sentence, and it ended with defense lawyer Yu Cheng preparing Dong Baihao for court.

• Su Bai told Li Xuezhen that White Jun Law Firm would take Feng Yunxia’s case without charging legal fees.
• Li Xuezhen told Feng Yunxia about the offer, and Feng Yunxia visited the firm and signed a representation agreement with Su Bai.
• Su Bai explained to Li Xuezhen that Dong Baihao’s surrender and meritorious service differed from Wang Wenyuan’s and could affect sentencing.
• At the detention center, Yu Cheng told Dong Baihao that the death penalty was unlikely but that a suspended death sentence or life imprisonment remained possible.
• Yu Cheng gave Dong Baihao questions to consider for trial, then left believing a victory could make his name.

At Dong Baihao’s public trial, he confessed to assaulting and murdering ten-year-old Dong Guoguo, while claiming he had not known her age and had turned himself in out of guilt. The hearing left Feng Yunxia devastated as Su Bai waited for the court to examine the case’s key issues.

• Yu Cheng prepared Dong Baihao for trial, hoping to use a high-profile case against Su Bai and White Jun Law Firm to raise his own reputation.
• The court began the public trial at Beishan City Intermediate Court, where presiding judge Xu Rufeng questioned Dong Baihao about the charges.
• Dong Baihao pleaded guilty and described assaulting Dong Guoguo, claiming he had thought she was fourteen or fifteen.
• Feng Yunxia challenged Dong Baihao’s claim, saying she had told him months earlier that Guoguo was ten.
• Dong Baihao admitted injuring and killing Guoguo, concealing her body, and later turning himself in after being troubled by guilt.
• As viewers condemned Dong Baihao in the livestream chat, Feng Yunxia slumped over and apologized to Guoguo while Su Bai waited for further questioning.

At Dong Baihao’s trial, Lin Qiushui argued that his sexual assault and murder of Dong Guoguo warranted the death penalty despite his voluntary surrender. Su Bai emphasized evidence of premeditation and deception, while Yu Cheng argued that Dong Baihao’s surrender had helped solve the case and merited a reduced sentence; the chapter ended with the final ruling still in the judges’ hands.

• Xu Rufeng questioned Dong Baihao about taking Dong Guoguo’s fifty-six yuan, and Dong Baihao admitted he hoped the money would mislead investigators.
• Lin Qiushui argued that the crimes against a young child were too grave for voluntary surrender to reduce Dong Baihao’s punishment and recommended the death penalty.
• Su Bai challenged Dong Baihao’s claim that he did not know Dong Guoguo’s age and argued that his prior interest and later deception indicated premeditation and weakened his claim to meritorious service.
• Yu Cheng argued that Dong Baihao’s surrender had helped solve a case that might otherwise have remained unresolved, making it significant meritorious service deserving a reduced sentence.
• Yu Cheng disputed Su Bai’s claims about Dong Baihao’s knowledge and premeditation, then looked to Xu Rufeng as the judges considered the arguments.

Presiding Judge Xu Rufeng considered whether Dong Baihao had shown prior intent to assault Dong Guoguo and whether he knew she was under fourteen, issues that could affect the case’s assessment of his punishment. Yu Cheng persuaded the court to overrule the victim’s side on the prior-intent issue, leaving him pleased with his first ruling while Li Xuezhen remained confident Su Bai would prevail.

• Xu Rufeng identified prior intent and Dong Baihao’s knowledge of Dong Guoguo’s age as key issues and asked the victim’s family about his earlier behavior.
• Feng Yunxia testified that Dong Baihao had often asked about her daughter, made remarks about her future partner, and teased her in ways that made Dong Guoguo uncomfortable.
• Yu Cheng argued that Feng Yunxia’s account reflected subjective impressions and lacked objective evidence that Dong Baihao had planned an assault.
• Su Bai declined to add anything, and Xu Rufeng overruled the victim’s side on the prior-intent issue.
• Yu Cheng celebrated winning the first ruling, while Li Xuezhen remained certain Su Bai would not lose the case.

The court determined that Dong Baihao knew Dong Guoguo was under fourteen, strengthening the case for a harsher sentence. The key factual issues were settled, and the trial moved toward weighing his meritorious service before the verdict.

• Su Bai argued that Dong Baihao knew Dong Guoguo's age because he lived in the village, frequently saw her, and had heard about her family circumstances.
• Yu Cheng argued that Dong Baihao could have mistaken Dong Guoguo for someone fourteen or older based on her appearance, but Su Bai challenged that claim.
• Xu Rufeng questioned Dong Baihao, who admitted hearing about Dong Guoguo's and Feng Yunxia's circumstances before falling silent when asked why he did not know her age.
• Xu Rufeng ruled that Dong Baihao knew Dong Guoguo was under fourteen, and the prosecution, Yu Cheng, and Su Bai raised no objections.
• Li Xuezhen asked Su Bai whether they would win, and he said the outcome depended on whether the collegial panel considered Dong Baihao's meritorious service sufficient to mitigate the circumstances.

The courtroom heard final statements on whether Dong Baihao’s voluntary surrender and meritorious service justified reducing his sentence. Su Bai argued that the crime would likely have been solved without Dong Baihao’s surrender and that the brutality of his crimes against ten-year-old Dong Guoguo warranted the punishment he deserved, leaving the panel to decide between a death sentence and a death sentence with reprieve.

• Presiding judge Xu Rufeng opened the final statement stage and said the court would consider whether Dong Baihao’s surrender and meritorious service warranted a reduced sentence.
• Prosecutor Lin Qiushui argued that Dong Baihao’s crimes against Dong Guoguo were so grave that his surrender and meritorious service should not reduce his punishment.
• Defense lawyer Yu Cheng argued that Dong Baihao’s surrender had been essential to solving the case and asked the court to commute the death sentence to a death sentence with reprieve.
• Victim’s lawyer Su Bai countered that investigators would likely have found Dong Baihao anyway and that his surrender did not merit a reduced sentence.
• Su Bai presented a photograph of Dong Guoguo taken two months before her death and urged the court not to spare Dong Baihao the punishment he deserved.

The Beishan City Intermediate Court sentenced Dong Baihao to death, ruling that his voluntary surrender and meritorious service did not justify a reduced sentence. Su Bai and Li Xuezhen left after the verdict, while Feng Yunxia grieved and Yu Cheng questioned the ruling.

• Xu Rufeng adjourned court so the collegial panel could discuss whether Dong Baihao’s voluntary surrender warranted a reduced sentence.
• Yu Cheng predicted a death sentence with reprieve and prepared to publicize a win for his law firm.
• Old Zhang and Old Ma agreed with Xu Rufeng that Dong Baihao’s heinous crime outweighed the significance of his meritorious service.
• After court reconvened, Xu Rufeng sentenced Dong Baihao to death and ordered the fifty-six yuan returned to Feng Yunxia.
• Yu Cheng challenged the verdict, and Xu Rufeng told him to consult the written judgment or appeal.
• Feng Yunxia broke down as Su Bai and Li Xuezhen prepared to leave the courtroom.

Dong Baihao's death sentence was overturned on appeal and changed to a death sentence with a two-year reprieve, prompting Su Bai to seek Supreme People's Court intervention. Yu Cheng celebrated the appeal victory and prepared to publicize it, while Su Bai and Li Xuezhen began pursuing supervisory review.

• After Dong Baihao received the death sentence at first instance, Yu Cheng assured him he would appeal and promised the sentence would be changed.
• Yu Cheng submitted new evidence to the Xiguang Province High Court, which agreed to hear Dong Baihao's second-instance appeal.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen attended the appeal, where Yu Cheng argued that Dong Baihao deserved sentence reductions for surrender, confession, acceptance of punishment, and meritorious service.
• A week after the hearing, the High Court overturned the first-instance verdict and sentenced Dong Baihao to death with a two-year reprieve.
• Su Bai called Lin Qiushui to discuss the ruling, then decided to seek Supreme People's Court intervention; Li Xuezhen supported submitting a request for supervisory review.
• Yu Cheng and Dong Baihao celebrated the reduced sentence, and Yu Cheng asked Li Ming to promote the ruling in the media and use White Jun Law Firm as a foil.

After media outlets smeared Su Bai and White Jun Law Firm over Dong Guoguo’s appeal, Su Bai and Southern Capital Media clarified the case and challenged the rumors. Public pressure led the Supreme People's Court to review the ruling and promise a response within a week.

• Wang Xue rejected calls to hide Southern Capital Media’s positive coverage of Su Bai and ordered a clarification using details from the judgment documents.
• Su Bai directed White Jun Law Firm to explain the case, report the rumor-spreading outlets, and submit case materials to the Supreme People's Court.
• White Jun Law Firm and Southern Capital Media’s clarifications shifted online attention from Su Bai to whether Dong Baihao’s reduced sentence was justified.
• The Official Public Network criticized the precedent a death sentence with reprieve could set, prompting widespread demands for a lawful and convincing explanation.
• The Supreme People's Court began reviewing the case files and whether Dong Baihao’s conduct warranted sentence reduction, and announced it would respond within a week.

The Supreme People's Court reviewed Dong Baihao's case, ordered a retrial, and the Beishan City Intermediate People's Court reinstated his original death sentence. After the trial, Su Bai confirmed that White Jun Law Firm was suing media outlets and Success Law Firm over their conduct.

• Yu Cheng dismissed concerns about public criticism as Success Law Firm gained new clients and higher fees.
• The Supreme People's Court ruled that Dong Baihao's surrender did not justify reducing his sentence and designated the Beishan City Intermediate People's Court to retry the case.
• At retrial, Dong Baihao's original first-instance judgment was upheld, and Feng Yunxia asked Li Xuezhen whether the case was finally over.
• Su Bai declined to answer reporters' questions, then sent Wang Xue the retrial result for Southern Capital Media to publish.
• Su Bai asked Xu Xiang about the lawsuit against the media outlets and Success Law Firm, and Xu Xiang confirmed that the court had accepted the case.

Su Bai pursued a public lawsuit against Success Law Firm and several media outlets for spreading rumors about White Jun Law Firm, while the supervisory review found no corruption in the second-instance court but said its judges had changed the verdict based on subjective leanings. The public trial began with Yu Cheng and Li Ming worried that Success Law Firm could lose, and Su Bai prepared to present his evidence.

• Su Bai received the Xiguang Province Supervisory Department's reply that the second-instance judges had not engaged in misconduct but had changed the verdict based on their subjective leanings.
• Su Bai told Xu Xiang to file lawsuits against Success Law Firm and the media outlets that had spread rumors about White Jun Law Firm.
• Yu Cheng and Li Ming received a court summons and discussed the risks of losing Success Law Firm's lawsuit against White Jun Law Firm.
• The Basic Court of Northern Capital's West District approved Su Bai's request for a public trial, and Su Bai informed Wang Xue about it.
• Su Bai represented White Jun Law Firm at the public trial against Success Law Firm and three media outlets, while Yu Cheng and Li Ming awaited the plaintiff's evidence.

White Jun Law Firm sued Success Law Firm and three media outlets over rumors that damaged the firm’s reputation. The media outlets admitted to publishing the false claims and tried to shift blame, leaving Yu Cheng and Li Ming worried that the evidence pointed to their law firm.

• Su Bai presented authenticated evidence that West District Urban Media, West District People's Livelihood Media, and Tianyu Media had spread false claims about White Jun Law Firm and his conduct in a criminal case.
• The three media outlets raised no objections to the evidence, and Su Bai requested that they remove the harmful content, publish month-long apologies, and pay compensation for reputational damage.
• West District Urban Media and West District People's Livelihood Media objected to keeping their apologies in place for a month, while Chu Changhe pointed out the outlets’ wide reach and role in prompting further reports.
• The media outlets’ lawyers blamed individuals in charge and directed some responsibility toward Success Law Firm to argue for shorter apologies.
• Li Ming warned Yu Cheng that the media representatives’ statements suggested the plaintiff had obtained evidence against Success Law Firm, and Yu Cheng told him to wait for the claims against them.

At the trial, Su Bai presented evidence that Success Law Firm had spread rumors about White Jun Law Firm and engaged in unfair competition, then requested public apologies, compensation, license revocations for Li Ming and Yu Cheng, and a two-month suspension of the firm. Yu Cheng objected to the requested penalties before the court had ruled on liability, and the chapter ended with him awaiting the judge’s response.

• Chu Changhe reviewed the three media outlets’ statements shifting blame toward Success Law Firm and deferred ruling on the outlets’ liability.
• Chu Changhe asked Su Bai to present evidence and requested relief concerning Success Law Firm.
• Su Bai accused Li Ming and Yu Cheng of arranging rumors through media contacts and exploiting the campaign to disparage White Jun Law Firm and promote Success Law Firm.
• Su Bai sought public apologies, compensation, revocation of Li Ming and Yu Cheng’s law licenses, and a two-month suspension of Success Law Firm.
• Yu Cheng objected that the requested penalties were unreasonable, and Su Bai challenged him for reacting before the court had determined liability.
• Yu Cheng recognized that the evidence made a defense difficult and waited for Chu Changhe to respond.