Chapter Summaries

At Zhang Kou’s second-instance trial, Su Bai argued that Zhang Kou’s motive and the fact that only one person died made a death sentence with reprieve more appropriate, while Lin Yuan defended the original death sentence. The Collegial Panel decided to reduce the sentence, leaving Zhang Chuancheng anxiously watching the trial livestream and fearing the case might affect him.

• Su Bai argued that Zhang Kou’s motive and the case’s circumstances supported a death sentence with reprieve, while Lin Yuan urged the court to uphold the death sentence.
• After neither side presented further arguments, Presiding Judge Wang Youwei adjourned the trial for the Collegial Panel to deliberate.
• Viewers debated the likely sentence and asked what had happened in the case involving Zhang Kou’s mother.
• Wang Youwei and the other two panel members agreed that the first-instance death sentence was too harsh and decided on a death sentence with reprieve.
• Zhang Chuancheng learned that Zhang Kou’s second-instance hearing was underway, found the livestream, and watched anxiously as he feared Zhang Kou might avoid the death penalty.

Su Bai argued that Zhang Kou’s revenge was rooted in his mother’s murder and the failure to punish those responsible, and the court changed his sentence to death with reprieve. His statement brought the old case under public scrutiny, prompting provincial authorities to order a thorough investigation and leaving Zhang Chuancheng and Peng Yuhang fearing exposure.

• Lin Yuan waived the prosecution’s court statement, while Su Bai told the court that Zhang Kou had witnessed his mother being beaten to death and that her attackers had not been severely punished.
• Viewers focused on the unresolved murder of Zhang Kou’s mother, and the online discussion drew attention from local and provincial authorities.
• Wang Youwei announced that the first-instance judgment was overturned and sentenced Zhang Kou to death with reprieve, leaving Zhang Kou in tears and Zhang Chuancheng alarmed.
• Provincial authorities ordered a thorough investigation into Zhang Kou’s mother’s murder and everyone involved.
• Peng Yuhang told Zhang Chuancheng that county, city, and provincial authorities were focused on the case, and Zhang Chuancheng realized they might all be in serious trouble.

After public pressure prompted the authorities to arrest Zhang Chuancheng and investigate Li Suzhen’s killing, Su Bai reassured Zhang Kou that the case could be proved. Li Xuezhen reflected that Zhang Kou had suffered a terrible outcome despite the progress, while investigators secured confessions from three suspects and prosecutors charged the defendants.

• Zhang Chuancheng tried to flee but law enforcement officers arrested him and took him in for questioning.
• The Law Enforcement Department announced that it had opened a formal investigation into Li Suzhen’s killing and arrested Zhang Chuancheng and other suspects.
• Li Xuezhen told Su Bai that the authorities were investigating the case, and Su Bai said public opinion had helped force progress.
• Su Bai told Zhang Kou that investigators would be able to build a complete case against Zhang Chuancheng, and Zhang Kou broke down crying with relief and grief.
• Li Xuezhen said Zhang Kou’s death sentence with a reprieve made the outcome deeply unjust, and Su Bai acknowledged that the authorities’ earlier failure had contributed to events.
• Three suspects confessed, Zhang Chuancheng denied responsibility and blamed a deceased accomplice, and the Law Enforcement Department and Procuratorate Department confirmed the charges and brought the case to court.

At the public trial, Zhang Chuancheng denied being the principal offender in Li Suzhen’s killing, but the presiding judge rejected his claims and sentenced him to death with a reprieve. The court then ordered further investigation and a retrial over his other alleged crimes, leaving open the possibility of a harsher final sentence.

• The court held a public trial, with Zhang Kou attending as Li Suzhen’s family member and watching Zhang Chuancheng and the other three defendants face charges.
• The other three defendants confessed and identified Zhang Chuancheng as the principal offender in Li Suzhen’s killing.
• Zhang Chuancheng denied the accusations, blamed the deceased Jiang Jun, and demanded direct evidence, but the presiding judge cited testimony and other evidence against him.
• The presiding judge sentenced Zhang Chuancheng to death with a reprieve and sentenced the other three defendants to prison terms of ten to thirteen years.
• After Zhang Kou reacted with confusion to the sentence, the presiding judge ordered Zhang Chuancheng taken for further investigation and announced that a retrial would be held.

Zhang Chuancheng’s retrial led to a death sentence that was approved by the Supreme People's Court, while Peng Yuhang received a prison sentence. Su Bai and Li Xuezhen told Zhang Kou that his family had finally received justice, and he resolved to serve his sentence and start over.

• The court ordered Zhang Chuancheng’s case retried, and Zhang Kou broke down in the courtroom as he realized the man who killed his mother might be sentenced to death.
• Su Bai explained to Li Xuezhen that the retrial would likely uncover another homicide and lead to a harsher sentence for Zhang Chuancheng.
• Li Xuezhen followed Wang Kexin’s advice, entered Su Bai’s room, and the two became intimate with Su Bai’s tacit consent.
• Zhang Chuancheng confessed after investigators assembled conclusive evidence, and the retrial sentenced him to death; the Supreme People's Court approved the sentence, while Peng Yuhang was sentenced to more than ten years in prison.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen visited Zhang Kou in the detention center and showed him the judgment, and Zhang Kou thanked Su Bai and said he would serve his sentence and make a fresh start.

After Zhang Chuancheng was executed, Zhang Kou gained some closure and Su Bai's system progress reached ninety-nine percent. Su Bai and Li Xuezhen told her father and teacher about their relationship, while farmers harmed by Wannong Agricultural Company's defective seeds sought a lawyer after the company refused compensation and had them beaten.

• Zhang Kou paid Su Bai the agreed legal fees, and Su Bai later told him that Zhang Chuancheng had been executed remorsefully.
• Zhang Kou felt gratified by Zhang Chuancheng's execution, while Su Bai saw his system progress reach ninety-nine percent.
• Li Xuezhen told her father and Feng Lijian that she and Su Bai were a couple, and they nervously welcomed Su Bai to dinner.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen returned home together, and he carried her toward their room after she teased him about his nervousness.
• Farmers in Southern Province protested after Wannong Agricultural Company refused to compensate them for poor harvests caused by its new seeds.
• Wang Xi'an ordered thugs to drive the farmers away, and after they were beaten and could not prove it, they discussed hiring a lawyer and contacting the media.

Farmers who suffered losses from Wannong Agricultural Company's defective seeds decided to seek media attention and hire Su Bai, who accepted the high-impact case. After reviewing the case at home with Li Xuezhen, Su Bai was teased about his aching back and carried her away to prove he was fine.

• The farmers discussed exposing Wannong Agricultural Company and hiring a lawyer, then settled on approaching Su Bai of White Jun Law Firm.
• Xu Xiang brought Su Bai the agricultural dispute, and Su Bai agreed to take the case because of its broad impact and the alleged assault on the farmers.
• Xu Xiang teased Su Bai about his back before leaving, and Su Bai took the case materials home for Li Xuezhen to review.
• Li Xuezhen condemned the company's alleged deception, refusal to compensate farmers, and organizing of assaults, while Su Bai agreed the case could attract nationwide attention.
• Li Xuezhen teased Su Bai that his back could not take it, so Su Bai stood up with her in his arms to prove otherwise.

Su Bai met with two farmer representatives seeking compensation from Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd. over defective seeds that devastated their harvests, and explained the legal and evidentiary challenges. The case’s enormous scale and effect on grain production suggested it could draw provincial and higher-level attention.

• Su Bai warned Lin Jiayuan that the farmers lacked evidence linking Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd. to the beatings and should not publicly accuse the company.
• Lin Jiayuan asked whether the farmers could recover their losses, and Su Bai said compensation was possible despite unfavorable contract provisions that might be challenged.
• Xu Xiang clarified that even a famous lawyer could not guarantee victory, while Su Bai reassured Lin Jiayuan and questioned him about the scope of the case.
• Lin Jiayuan estimated that defective seeds affected tens of thousands of people and more than a hundred thousand mu, leaving farmers with severe losses and sharply reduced wheat yields.
• Su Bai recognized that the case’s scale and impact on grain production could attract provincial and even higher-level attention.

Su Bai agreed to represent Lin Jiayuan and the other farmers in their compensation case against Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd., despite the company’s deep connections. After the firm received a detailed threat warning Su Bai to drop the case, Old Li decided to strike back and asked Feng Lijian for a plan.

• Su Bai accepted full authority from Lin Jiayuan and the other clients, and he and Xu Xiang agreed to file an appeal seeking compensation.
• Wang Xi'an learned the farmers had hired Su Bai and told his assistant Xu Mao to persuade him to withdraw by any means.
• Xu Mao arranged for someone to intimidate Su Bai, and Li Xuezhen found an email listing Su Bai’s home address and warning him to drop Lin Jiayuan’s case.
• Su Bai reassured Li Xuezhen that the case would be manageable despite the threat.
• Old Li learned that Su Bai had been threatened, went to Feng Lijian, and asked him to devise a plan to retaliate.

Old Li wanted to retaliate against Wannong Agricultural Company for threatening Su Bai, but Feng Lijian urged him to let Su Bai handle the case while they stood ready to support him. As Su Bai filed the farmers’ compensation suit in Water City, Wang Xi'an sought help from court connections and his uncle, then hired a lawyer to reduce the company’s liability.

• Old Li asked Feng Lijian whether he should acquire or financially attack Wannong Agricultural Company over its threats to Su Bai.
• Feng Lijian advised Old Li to let Su Bai handle the case because the company itself needed to compensate the farming households.
• Su Bai filed the appeal against Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd. with the Water City Intermediate Court, which accepted the case.
• Wang Xi'an asked President Fang to arrange mediation or favorable treatment, but President Fang refused to interfere with the court’s process.
• Wang Xi'an asked his uncle to influence the court, and his uncle agreed to make inquiries while warning him to stop scheming and pay any compensation owed.
• Wang Xi'an instructed Xu Mao to contact the law firm that drafted the company’s contracts and find a lawyer to reduce its compensation at trial.

Wang Xi'an assumed his compensation offer would satisfy the farmers, while Fang Qiqiang tried to steer the seed lawsuit toward a settlement to avoid the risks of a public trial. Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd. offered only seed credits worth twenty yuan per mu, and Su Bai rejected mediation, leaving the case headed for court.

• Wang Xi'an believed the farmers should be grateful for whatever compensation he chose to offer.
• After Wang Xi'an's uncle pressured him to reduce compensation, Fang Qiqiang worried about the consequences of bias and arranged mediation between Su Bai and Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd.
• Su Bai proposed compensation for Lin Jiayuan according to the contract, including interest for the company's delay.
• Yu Hao rejected the contractual amount and offered twenty yuan per mu in seed credits, while disputing that the company was responsible for the crop losses.
• Lin Jiayuan argued that the seeds were at fault, but Yu Hao insisted the farmers had to prove their case.
• Su Bai refused the company's offer and ended mediation, so the lawsuit would proceed to trial.

Su Bai challenged Presiding Judge Fang Qiqiang’s decision to award only eighty yuan per mu under provincial regulations, arguing that the contract or national Seed Law should govern the compensation. Fang Qiqiang fell silent after Su Bai questioned why provincial rules took precedence, leaving the dispute unresolved.

• Fang Qiqiang failed to arrange a settlement between Lin Jiayuan and Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd., and the court rejected Su Bai’s request for a public hearing.
• At trial, Su Bai sought eight hundred yuan per mu under the contract, while Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd. offered twenty yuan per mu in seed value.
• Su Bai presented certification that inferior seeds had caused the crop losses, undermining Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd.’s claim that Lin Jiayuan was responsible.
• Fang Qiqiang rejected both sides’ positions and announced compensation of eighty yuan per mu in cash under provincial seed regulations.
• Su Bai objected that the contract or national Seed Law should apply instead, arguing that national law took precedence over provincial regulations.
• Fang Qiqiang, aware of Su Bai’s influence, did not immediately respond to the challenge.

At the end of the hearing against Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd., Judge Fang Qiqiang steered the case toward compensation of eighty yuan per mu by relying on provincial regulations, despite Su Bai’s objection that national law should take priority. Before issuing the judgment, Fang faced pressure from Wang Xi'an and confided in Su Bai that he felt forced to favor the company, while Su Bai insisted he had to represent his clients.

• Fang Qiqiang asked Su Bai whether provincial seed regulations could legally serve as a basis for the ruling, and Su Bai reluctantly agreed they could be used.
• Fang rejected the plaintiff’s argument about national-law priority and proposed compensation of eighty yuan per mu; Yu Hao accepted the determination for Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd.
• Su Bai objected in his closing statement, and Fang closed the hearing, saying the judgment would be issued within seven working days.
• Su Bai told Lin Jiayuan the farmers would likely win but that the final compensation remained uncertain, and he expected the amount might lead to an appeal.
• Wang Xi'an thanked Fang and invoked his uncle while asking whether the final award would be eighty yuan per mu; Fang said the collegial panel had not decided.
• Fang consulted the other panel members, then told Su Bai he felt forced to favor Wannong; Su Bai replied that he had to remain responsible to his clients.

Fang Qiqiang issued a first-instance judgment awarding farmers eighty yuan per mu against Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd., and Wang Xi'an planned to exploit the low award while suppressing its fallout. After discovering that online coverage was restricted, Su Bai prepared an appeal and sought Li Xuezhen’s father’s help as the case moved toward a second instance.

• Fang Qiqiang and the other two collegial panel members agreed to rule under provincial seed management regulations, and he issued the judgment awarding eighty yuan per mu.
• Wang Xi'an celebrated the verdict, told Xu Mao to delay compensation payments, and ordered him to monitor the appeal, enforcement, and public reaction.
• Li Xuezhen urged Su Bai to report Fang Qiqiang, but Su Bai rejected the idea for lack of evidence and learned that their short-video coverage had been restricted and placed under review.
• Su Bai decided to contact the media and prepare a second-instance appeal challenging the compensation award.
• Su Bai asked Li Xuezhen to seek her father’s help with matters surrounding the case, and she agreed to pass his request along.

Old Li used his connections to get Short Video to lift restrictions on coverage of the Water City agricultural case, and Su Bai’s team released the case through the platform and major media outlets. The story surged to nationwide trending searches, leaving Wang Xi'an panicked as his uncle warned that suppressing it would be difficult.

• Li Xuezhen asked Old Li for help, and Old Li called Short Video’s boss, Old Zhang, to investigate why coverage of the case was restricted.
• Old Zhang learned that local administrative departments had urged the platform to avoid negative impact, and he ordered the review restrictions lifted.
• Li Xuezhen and Wang Kexin told Su Bai that Short Video and several media outlets were ready to publish the case, and Su Bai approved the releases.
• Coverage of the crop losses, the lack of compensation, and the court’s award of only eighty yuan per mu spread rapidly and reached the top of Trending Searches.
• Wang Xi'an’s uncle berated him over the nationwide attention, and Wang Xi'an asked whether they could still suppress the story, but his uncle saw little chance.

Wang Jianshu scolded Wang Xi'an as the seed scandal drew nationwide attention, while Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd. agreed to compensate affected farmers in the second-instance case. A special Inspection Team investigated officials across two cities, and Wang Jianshu grew alarmed when the team’s inquiries appeared to be closing in on him.

• Wang Jianshu told Wang Xi'an that the scandal was too large to suppress and warned him to distance himself from the company, apologize publicly, and compensate farmers.
• Wang Xi'an agreed to follow his uncle’s advice and privately resolved to remember Su Bai and White Jun Law Firm for exposing the matter.
• Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd. offered full compensation and additional payments to affected farmers, and the second-instance judgment followed those terms.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen discussed the settlement and learned that investigators from the higher authorities had arrived in Southern Province.
• The Inspection Team investigated Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd. and crop officials in Water City and River City, implicating more than thirty people.
• Wang Jianshu became suspicious when the Inspection Team kept investigating, could not reach a contact, and Wang Xi'an said the investigators had not asked about their relationship.

Wang Xi'an's uncle, Wang Jianshu, warned him to leave the country while the inspection team investigated, and Wang Xi'an ordered Xu Mao to attack Su Bai. After Lin Jiayuan's case became nationally influential and the system reached 100 percent, an armed man rushed at Su Bai outside White Jun Law Firm.

• Wang Jianshu told Wang Xi'an that the case was more serious than he had expected and arranged for him to leave the country and lie low.
• Wang Xi'an offered Xu Mao two million and ordered him to arrange retaliation against Su Bai within five days.
• Li Xuezhen asked Su Bai why the officials involved in the case had not been investigated, and Su Bai explained that the inspection team still needed evidence and time.
• After Lin Jiayuan's case concluded, Su Bai saw the system's progress reach 100 percent.
• An assistant told Su Bai that a man who knew Lin Jiayuan wanted to discuss the case, and a burly man then charged at Su Bai with a pointed knife.

After Su Bai was stabbed outside White Jun Law Firm, the investigation linked the attack to Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd., while public outrage and pressure from legal authorities intensified. Wang Xi'an was arrested at the airport, and officials from the Supreme People's Procuratorate confronted Wang Jianshu, leaving him facing an investigation.

• A burly attacker stabbed Su Bai outside White Jun Law Firm, but lawyers subdued him and Li Xuezhen rushed Su Bai to the hospital.
• Su Bai regained consciousness after the system stabilized his declining physical function, while investigators identified Xu Mao as the man behind the attack and contacted Police in Another Jurisdiction.
• Southern Capital's media reported that the attack might be connected to Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd., prompting widespread online outrage and drawing the Inspection Team and Supreme People's Procuratorate into the case.
• Wang Xi'an tried to leave the country under the false identity Li Shu, but plainclothes officers recognized and arrested him.
• Wang Jianshu learned that Wang Xi'an had been detained, then faced officials from the Supreme People's Procuratorate, who ordered him to come with them.

Wang Jianshu learned that his protection of Wang Xi'an had led to serious criminal consequences, while authorities investigated everyone connected to the case. Recovering in the hospital, Su Bai heard that Wang Xi'an and the others would likely face trial next month, where he could seek justice as a victim.

• Supreme People's Procuratorate officials told Wang Jianshu that he faced serious consequences, and he learned that Wang Xi'an had been arrested at the airport.
• Southern Province authorities announced an investigation into Wang and Xu, prompting the public to await the case's final outcome.
• Li Xuezhen told Su Bai that Wang Xi'an, Wang Jianshu, and other implicated officials were under investigation, with charges being prepared against Wang Xi'an.
• Su Bai considered how Wang Xi'an, Xu Mao, and the attacker might be held responsible for the attempted killing.
• Li Xuezhen said Wang Xi'an and the others might go to trial next month, and that Wang Xi'an could receive life imprisonment.

Nearly a month after the attack on Su Bai, Wang Xi'an and his co-defendants stood trial for contract killing and related crimes. The court sentenced Wang Xi'an to death with a reprieve and the other two defendants to life imprisonment, while Wang Jianshu’s fate remained unresolved.

• After Su Bai recovered, he learned that Wannong Agricultural Co., Ltd. had sold assets to fund court-supervised compensation for the farmers, while its workers’ jobs remained unaffected.
• At the public trial, the prosecutor recommended a death sentence with a reprieve for Wang Xi'an, and Su Bai asked the court to punish him severely for ordering the attack out of personal revenge.
• Wang Xi'an blamed Su Bai for his downfall and said he regretted that the attempt to kill him had failed, prompting the presiding judge to warn him to stay on trial-related matters.
• Su Bai waived his court statement, and the presiding judge sentenced Feng and Xu to life imprisonment and Wang Xi'an to death with a reprieve.
• After the verdict, Su Bai wondered what punishment Wang Jianshu and the members of the first-instance court would ultimately face.