Chapter Summaries

At the hearing, the Success Lawyer Firm admitted to unfair competition but argued that its wrongdoing was not serious and that the media caused the worst damage. Su Bai disputed that defense and urged the court to assign liability based on the evidence, leaving the case ready for a ruling.

• Chu Changhe asked the Success Lawyer Firm whether it disputed the evidence or admitted to unfair competition, and Li Ming admitted the conduct and accepted the evidence as authentic.
• Li Ming argued that the firm had only sought publicity, that the media had exaggerated its false claims, and that Yu Cheng and Li Ming should not lose their law licenses.
• Su Bai argued that Yu Cheng and Li Ming had deliberately contacted media outlets to disparage the White Jun Law Firm and were responsible for the resulting reputational harm.
• Li Ming maintained that the firm had not foreseen the scale of the damage and offered an apology and compensation.
• Su Bai challenged that claim by pointing to the firm’s failure to stop the smear campaign and its continued efforts to raise its profile, then asked Chu Changhe to determine liability based on the evidence.

Presiding Judge Chu Changhe denied Su Bai's request for an immediate ruling and moved the trial into its closing statements, with the judgment to follow. Yu Cheng appealed for leniency, but Su Bai rejected Success Law Firm's apology and argued that its lawyers had knowingly used illegal methods to gain publicity.

• Chu Changhe questioned Li Ming about evidence of the defendants' intent, and Li Ming admitted that they had no substantive evidence or further objections.
• Chu Changhe denied Su Bai's request for a separate ruling, concluded the argument phase, and called for the defendants' court statements.
• West District Urban Media, West District People's Livelihood Media, and Tianyu Media admitted fault and asked the court to limit the duration of their public apologies.
• Yu Cheng apologized to Su Bai and said Success Law Firm had fabricated rumors to promote itself, asking the court to consider the firm's circumstances and reduce the penalty.
• Su Bai questioned Yu Cheng's justification, argued that the lawyers had knowingly committed illegal acts for unfair competition, rejected the apology, and waited for the judgment.

Su Bai won the case against Success Lawyer Firm and the media outlets, with the court finding Yu Cheng and Li Ming primarily responsible for spreading rumors and engaging in unfair competition. After the judgment was issued, Su Bai arranged for it to be submitted to the relevant authorities, while Yu Cheng and Li Ming tried to reach him to negotiate.

• Chu Changhe and the other judges deliberated and decided to find Success Lawyer Firm liable, assign Yu Cheng and Li Ming primary responsibility, and order the media outlets to publish apologies for seven days.
• Chu Changhe announced the verdict, finding the media outlets had spread rumors and Success Lawyer Firm had engaged in unfair competition against White Jun Law Firm.
• Yu Cheng and Li Ming realized the judgment could cost them their law licenses and lead to the suspension of Success Lawyer Firm.
• Li Ming persuaded Yu Cheng to try apologizing to Su Bai and offering compensation, and Yu Cheng agreed.
• After learning the Judgment Document had been issued, Su Bai told Duan Liang to submit it to the Judiciary Bureau and relevant departments, then blocked unfamiliar callers.
• Yu Cheng obtained Su Bai's number through other lawyers but could not get through to him.

Yu Cheng and Li Ming lost their law licenses after Success Lawyer Firm was penalized for its misconduct. As the people's jury system was set to take effect, Xiao Haibo sent Su Bai a difficult murder case to review, leaving Su Bai concerned about its complexity.

• Yu Cheng failed to persuade Duan Liang or White Jun Law Firm to show leniency, and Duan Liang submitted evidence against Success Lawyer Firm, Yu Cheng, and Li Ming.
• The authorities suspended Success Lawyer Firm for two months and revoked Yu Cheng and Li Ming's law licenses, barring them from obtaining new ones.
• Li Xuezhen told Su Bai that post-trial enforcement was complete and that the firm's demands had been met.
• The Judicial Department announced that the people's jury system would take effect on the first of the following month.
• Xiao Haibo asked Su Bai to review a difficult criminal case, and Su Bai examined the files before realizing it involved murder.

Su Bai reviewed Lin Wanjia’s murder conviction, doubted that he had killed his girlfriend Snow, and met him in detention to investigate the weapon and possible alternative suspects. Lin Wanjia named a wealthy student who had pursued Snow, while that student’s mother revealed she had used her connections to make Lin Wanjia a scapegoat.

• Su Bai examined Lin Wanjia’s first-instance case and questioned how the murder weapon had been found among his belongings despite his insistence that he had not killed Snow.
• Su Bai found Li Xuezhen being praised as the boss’s wife at the firm, then brought her into the case and arranged to meet Lin Wanjia.
• Lin Wanjia told Su Bai that a wealthy student had pursued Snow and might have remained in contact with her before her death.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen left the detention center believing the case had unresolved questions and prepared to appeal and request jurors for the second instance.
• The wealthy student asked his mother whether he should leave the country, and she told him the case had been handled and Lin Wanjia would take the blame.

Yang Shangya tried to protect her son Xiao Zhen from suspicion as Su Bai and Li Xuezhen gathered leads to appeal Lin Wanjia’s conviction. The Northern Province Provincial High Court accepted the appeal and scheduled a hearing, prompting Yang Shangya to make further preparations.

• Yang Shangya asked the man surnamed Lei to influence the appeal so the original judgment against Lin Wanjia would stand and Xiao Zhen would remain safe.
• Li Xuezhen finished preparing Lin Wanjia’s appeal documents, and Su Bai took her to Linshui City University to investigate evidence.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen questioned the elderly security guard and other people on campus, uncovering rumors that a wealthy student may have killed Liu Xiaoxue and that surveillance footage had been deleted.
• Su Bai submitted Lin Wanjia’s second-instance appeal to the Northern Province Provincial High Court and raised concerns about Law Enforcement’s handling of the case.
• The Provincial High Court accepted the appeal after finding new factual evidence and a possibility of overturning the verdict, approved people's jurors, and scheduled the hearing.
• Yang Shangya learned the hearing date, contacted the man surnamed Lei and the original prosecutor, and hoped the second-instance trial would settle the case.

At Lin Wanjia’s public appeal hearing, Presiding Judge Hong Jiangtao questioned him about the murder of Liu Xiaoxue and treated his inability to explain the evidence as grounds for guilt. As the prosecution prepared to read the indictment, Su Bai recognized that the defense stage was crucial to proving Lin Wanjia’s innocence.

• The Provincial High Court began Lin Wanjia’s public second-instance trial, with Su Bai as his counsel and Li Jiang participating as a people’s juror.
• Hong Jiangtao asked Lin Wanjia about his alleged motive and the fruit knife found in his dormitory locker; Lin denied the murder but had no evidence to support his claims.
• Lin said he had waited for Liu Xiaoxue at their agreed meeting place, then walked around the sports field and the school before returning to his dormitory near midnight.
• Hong pointed out that Lin had time to commit the murder and could not explain the gap in his account or provide witnesses or other evidence to clear himself.
• Hong ended the evidence examination and directed the prosecution to read the indictment, while Su Bai prepared to challenge the case during the defense stage.

At Lin Wanjia’s appeal hearing, prosecutor Xie Wenliang and Liu Xiaoxue’s family demanded the death penalty, while Su Bai argued that Lin was innocent. Su Bai challenged the investigation for focusing on Lin and leaving Lei Xiaozhen unexamined, raising the possibility that Lin had been framed.

• Xie Wenliang summarized the prosecution’s case against Lin Wanjia and recommended the death penalty.
• Liu Xiaoxue’s counsel demanded that Lin be sentenced to death on behalf of her family.
• Su Bai surprised the courtroom by announcing that he would argue for Lin’s acquittal.
• Su Bai questioned whether investigators had properly examined the case and considered suspects other than Lin.
• Xie Wenliang claimed the prosecution had screened the suspects, while Su Bai pointed out that the investigation had not examined Lei Xiaozhen.

At Lin Wanjia’s appeal trial, Su Bai challenged the prosecution’s failure to investigate Lei Xiaozhen, citing rumors and evidence linking him to the murder weapon. The presiding judge questioned the prosecution about its undocumented dismissal of the rumors, then heard Su Bai’s grounds for suspecting Lei as the trial’s next step remained undecided.

• Su Bai submitted a document describing rumors at Linshui City University that Lei Xiaozhen killed Liu Xiaoxue, and argued that Law Enforcement and the prosecution had failed to investigate him.
• Xie Wenliang objected that the trial concerned Lin Wanjia and asked the presiding judge to stop Su Bai from discussing other suspects.
• Su Bai argued that investigating Lei Xiaozhen was necessary, while viewers watching the livestream speculated that someone powerful was being protected.
• Yang Shangya called Lei Xiaozhen, asked whether he remembered what to do if he was arrested, and told him to prepare without explaining what had happened.
• Hong Jiangtao questioned Xie Wenliang about the prosecution’s claim that the rumors were false, and Xie admitted there were no written statements or records documenting the investigation.
• Su Bai cited evidence that Lin Wanjia had never owned the murder weapon, while Lei Xiaozhen collected short knives and had been seen with one of the same model.

During Lin Wanjia’s trial, Su Bai argued that the court should adjourn and investigate Lei Xiaozhen because the evidence might have been planted to frame Lin Wanjia. After Hong Jiangtao denied the request, Su Bai appealed to the judges and jurors to reconsider, and Hong Jiangtao adjourned the court.

• Xie Wenliang argued that the trial should continue, claiming Lei Xiaozhen had already been investigated and that pursuing other suspects would waste judicial resources if Lin Wanjia’s guilt could be established.
• Su Bai countered that the prosecution had provided no records or objective evidence of an investigation into Lei Xiaozhen and argued that an adjournment was necessary to uncover whether Lin Wanjia had been framed.
• Hong Jiangtao denied Su Bai’s request to adjourn, saying the statements about the murder weapon and other leads were not verifiable objective facts, and ordered the trial to continue.
• Su Bai addressed the presiding judge, panel members, and jurors, stressing that unresolved suspicions about Lei Xiaozhen could mean an innocent Lin Wanjia would be convicted.
• After hearing Su Bai’s appeal for the panel and jurors to deliberate on an adjournment, Hong Jiangtao announced that court was adjourned.

The court postponed Lin Wanjia’s trial and ordered a supplementary investigation after People’s Juror Li Jiang identified unanswered questions about other suspects. Su Bai planned to seek a transfer to the Provincial Procuratorate, then rejected Yang Shangya’s offer to abandon Lin Wanjia’s defense.

• Hong Jiangtao and the other panel members deliberated with Li Jiang, who recommended postponing the trial because investigators had not documented how they ruled out other suspects.
• Hong Jiangtao announced a postponement and ordered the prosecution to conduct a supplementary investigation.
• Su Bai returned to his hotel and organized materials to request a supervisory review and transfer of the investigation to the Provincial Procuratorate.
• Yang Shangya offered Su Bai five million in legal fees and her company’s legal work if he stopped representing Lin Wanjia.
• Su Bai rejected Yang Shangya’s offer and told her that the law did not rank people into classes.
• Yang Shangya left and told someone by phone that Su Bai had refused her offer.

Su Bai persuaded the Provincial Procuratorate to take over Lin Wanjia’s case, and its investigation found that Lin Wanjia could not have committed the crime. The Provincial Procuratorate withdrew the charges, while Yang Shangya learned that the case had gone badly wrong and Xiao Zhen’s situation was uncertain.

• Yang Shangya confirmed that the Provincial Procuratorate might intervene and resolved to interfere with its investigation while warning Xiao Zhen not to reveal anything.
• Su Bai told Li Xuezhen that he had refused Yang Shangya’s offers and instructed her to prepare a request for Xie Wenliang’s recusal and provincial intervention.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen submitted their request, and the Provincial Procuratorate approved it and formed a special investigation team.
• Investigators used Su Bai’s leads and university statements to find that Lin Wanjia lacked the time and opportunity to commit the crime, and Lei Xiaozhen began talking after questioning.
• Yang Shangya’s contact, Lei, refused to help her learn Xiao Zhen’s status and warned her not to interfere in the case.
• The Provincial Procuratorate withdrew the charges against Lin Wanjia, setting off a public reaction and leaving Yang Shangya shocked.

After the charges against Lin Wanjia were withdrawn, Su Bai secured his release and explained how the investigation had exposed serious misconduct. Yang Shangya tried to enlist Old Lei to protect Lei Xiaozhen, but Old Lei was warned to stay away from the case.

• Yang Shangya learned that Xie Wenliang and other judicial personnel had been taken for investigation and feared Lei Xiaozhen would not escape punishment.
• Su Bai secured Lin Wanjia's release on bail, and Lin Wanjia reunited tearfully with his parents.
• Lin Wanjia asked Su Bai why Lei Xiaozhen had killed Liu Xiaoxue and whether Lei Xiaozhen would be punished; Su Bai said Lei Xiaozhen was the only suspect and would likely be prosecuted.
• The Northern Province Provincial Procuratorate announced that it had confirmed dereliction of duty and criminal conduct by judicial personnel involved in the case.
• Yang Shangya demanded that Old Lei protect Lei Xiaozhen and threatened to report him, while Old Lei said he could not interfere and later promised to seek help.
• Old Lei contacted an authoritative figure, who told him to distance himself from the case, leaving him deeply troubled.

Lei Xiaozhen was sentenced to death for murdering Liu Xiaoxue and framing Lin Wanjia, while Yang Shangya failed to secure help from Old Lei. The chapter ended with Yang Shangya reporting misconduct under her real name to the Provincial Supervisory Department.

• The Provincial Procuratorate found no evidence against Yang Shangya but submitted Lei Xiaozhen’s murder case for prosecution.
• Su Bai, Li Xuezhen, and Lin Wanjia watched Lei Xiaozhen’s public trial, where prosecutors detailed his murder of Liu Xiaoxue and his attempt to frame Lin Wanjia.
• The presiding judge sentenced Lei Xiaozhen to death and deprived him of his political rights for life.
• Su Bai told Yang Shangya that Lei Xiaozhen’s sentence could not be changed, and Yang Shangya asked Old Lei whether he could intervene.
• Old Lei admitted he could not influence the case, and Yang Shangya told him she understood before ending the call.
• Yang Shangya went to the Provincial Supervisory Department and announced that she wanted to report misconduct under her real name.

Yang Shangya’s real-name report led to the arrest and prosecution of Old Lei and nearly thirty others, bringing Lin Wanjia’s case to a close. A month later, Li Xuezhen reviewed new case leads at White Jun Law Firm and became interested in a trademark dispute involving the Supreme People's Court.

• Yang Shangya published her real-name report and submitted evidence to the relevant departments, prompting the Supervisory Department to arrest Old Lei.
• Su Bai told Li Xuezhen that the report would likely implicate a group, and the authorities later prosecuted nearly thirty people in a closed trial.
• Yang Shangya accepted a ten-year prison sentence, while Old Lei received thirteen years and Xie Wenliang and the others received five years.
• Su Bai received confirmation that Lin Wanjia’s case was settled and reflected on how the jury system helped clear Lin Wanjia.
• Li Xuezhen admired secret couple photos of herself and Su Bai, then continued enjoying the firm’s staff calling her the boss’s wife.
• Li Xuezhen reviewed case leads and chose a trademark dispute that involved the Supreme People's Court.

Li Xuezhen brought Su Bai a trademark case involving Jordan Sports’ use of Jordan’s name and image, and White Jun Law Firm agreed to represent Jordan at the Supreme People's Court. After Jordan’s representative signed the agreement, Su Bai suggested adding more claims, leaving him surprised and Li Xuezhen amused.

• Li Xuezhen told Su Bai about Jordan’s trademark dispute with Jordan Sports, whose first- and second-instance cases had already been lost.
• Su Bai agreed to take the case, and Li Xuezhen later teased Xu Xiang about being called the firm’s boss lady.
• Xu Xiang asked whether Su Bai knew the firm called Li Xuezhen its boss lady, and Su Bai confirmed that he did.
• Jordan’s representative Li Han met Su Bai and listed demands for a finding of infringement, compensation, a company name change, and a public apology.
• Li Han signed White Jun Law Firm’s representation agreement after Su Bai explained that he could not guarantee a win.
• Su Bai suggested adding more claims, surprising Li Han while Li Xuezhen privately noted that Su Bai could guarantee they would not lose.

Su Bai’s White Jun Law Firm took on Jordan’s trademark infringement case at the Supreme People’s Court and sought mediation before trial. Jordan Sports rejected Su Bai’s demands, leaving the final-instance lawsuit to proceed.

• Li Han hired White Jun Law Firm to represent Jordan in the trademark infringement case, partly because Su Bai’s online profile could bring the dispute public attention.
• Su Bai organized the case materials and requested mediation, and Jordan Sports agreed to participate after the Supreme People’s Court contacted it.
• Lin Hai warned Jordan Sports’ legal team that the trademark was essential to the company and told them to avoid surprises at the final hearing.
• Old Li asked Feng Lijian about Su Bai and Li Xuezhen, and Feng reassured him that there would be no problem between the two.
• Su Bai demanded that Jordan Sports admit infringement, pay compensation at the highest legal standard, and issue a public apology; Zhang Yuan rejected the demands and offered only possible compensation for harm to Jordan’s reputation.
• Su Bai maintained that Jordan Sports had infringed Jordan’s trademark and portrait rights, and both sides ended mediation prepared to proceed to trial.

At the Supreme People's Court, mediation failed in the Jordan trademark dispute, and Su Bai prepared to challenge Jordan Sports Co., Ltd.'s trademark at trial. After Su Bai argued that the trademark infringed Jordan's rights, Zhang Yuan rejected the claims and demanded sixty million yuan in compensation from Jordan for reputational damage.

• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen left the failed mediation, and Su Bai told Li Han that the case would have to be decided at trial.
• Li Han agreed to proceed, and Su Bai secured approval for a public hearing at the Supreme People's Court.
• Presiding Judge Liang Youcheng opened the hearing and asked the parties to state their claims.
• Su Bai argued that Jordan Sports Co., Ltd. had exploited Jordan's fame and sought to invalidate its trademark, obtain compensation and an apology, and recover litigation costs.
• Zhang Yuan denied infringement and demanded that Jordan pay Jordan Sports Co., Ltd. sixty million yuan for alleged harm to its reputation and business.

Li Xuezhen presented evidence that Jordan Sports Co., Ltd. infringed Michael Jordan’s rights, but Zhang Yuan dismantled her arguments by claiming consumers made the association themselves and that the company’s logo depicted a table-tennis player. The chapter ended with Li Xuezhen unable to respond and turning to Su Bai for help.

• Presiding Judge Liang Youcheng asked the plaintiff to present the facts and evidence behind its infringement claim.
• Li Xuezhen argued that Jordan Sports used Jordan’s name to sell products and profit from consumers’ association with her client.
• Zhang Yuan rebutted that Jordan Sports had never linked its products to Michael Jordan and that consumers’ perceptions did not establish infringement.
• Li Xuezhen overlaid boards showing Jordan’s airborne pose and Jordan Sports’ logo to argue that the images matched.
• Zhang Yuan countered that the logo depicted a table-tennis player, not a basketball player, and asked the judge to dismiss the plaintiff’s claims.
• Li Xuezhen could not answer Zhang Yuan and turned to Su Bai for help.

Su Bai took over Li Xuezhen’s argument against Jordan Sports Co., Ltd., challenging its refusal to explain why it had chosen the name Jordan. The case still hinged on whether the court would recognize Michael Jordan’s right to the Chinese name Jordan.

• Su Bai reassured Li Xuezhen that he would handle the remaining arguments.
• Jordan Sports Co., Ltd.’s executives watched the trial and expressed confidence that Zhang Yuan’s arguments would secure a win, despite concerns about public reaction.
• Presiding judge Liang Youcheng asked the plaintiff whether it could provide further evidence of distinctiveness.
• Su Bai questioned why Jordan Sports Co., Ltd. had chosen the name Jordan if it had no connection to Jordan’s fame.
• Zhang Yuan avoided answering directly and argued that Jordan was not exclusive to the plaintiff’s client, redirecting attention to whether Jordan had a right to that name in China.
• Li Xuezhen admired Su Bai for confronting the opposing side on her behalf.