Chapter Summaries

After Wang Xi'an received a death sentence with reprieve for his crimes, Su Bai and Li Xuezhen celebrated the case’s resolution and discussed marriage. A separate trial sentenced Wang Jianshu to life imprisonment and Fang Qiqiang to four years, leaving both men remorseful.

• Wang Xi'an cursed Su Bai after the verdict, but court police restrained him and took him away as Li Xuezhen watched with relief.
• Su Bai thanked Feng Lijian and Old Li for supporting him, and Old Li asked when Su Bai and Li Xuezhen planned to marry.
• Su Bai showed Li Xuezhen the money he had prepared for their marriage certificate, and she joyfully kissed him.
• Xu Xiang told Su Bai that investigators had confirmed Wang Jianshu's crimes and that his illicit gains amounted to hundreds of millions.
• A closed trial sentenced Fang Qiqiang to four years in prison and Wang Jianshu to life imprisonment, leaving both men to regret their past choices.

After Wang Jianshu received life imprisonment, Su Bai and Li Xuezhen celebrated their growing firm and looked forward to their wedding. Su Bai’s team agreed to expand White Jun Law Firm into Shendu and Upper Capital, and the chapter ended with Xu Xiang and Wang Kexin discovering a case in Shendu where a judge had gone to prison.

• Li Xuezhen celebrated Wang Jianshu’s life sentence with Su Bai and spoke of wanting to become his wife officially.
• Su Bai reflected on the gratitude of former clients and the cases he had fought on their behalf.
• Su Bai proposed opening branches in Shendu and Upper Capital, and White Jun Law Firm’s founding veterans unanimously agreed.
• Su Bai assigned Xu Xiang to lead the Shendu branch and proposed selecting a senior lawyer to lead the Upper Capital branch.
• Li Xuezhen suggested publicizing the new branches on the Short Video Platform and having Su Bai handle trials to build their reputations.
• In Shendu, Wang Kexin showed Xu Xiang a case lead about a judge sent to prison, and Xu Xiang read it with surprise.

Xu Xiang found a case involving a presiding judge imprisoned after ruling against a powerful defendant, and Su Bai agreed to take it on for White Jun Law Firm. After meeting the judge’s wife, Su Bai learned that the judge himself had specifically requested the firm, but the reason remained unknown until they could meet him.

• Xu Xiang found a forum thread and case materials describing how a presiding judge was convicted of perverting the law after ruling for a worker against a powerful company.
• Xu Xiang called Su Bai, who agreed to take the case and planned to investigate it in Shendu.
• Su Bai reviewed the case with Li Xuezhen, who urged him to help the judge challenge the conviction.
• Su Bai met the judge’s wife, who confirmed the background but knew little about what had happened in court.
• The judge’s wife told Su Bai that her husband had specifically requested White Jun Law Firm, but she did not know why.
• Su Bai signed a preliminary representation agreement and decided to meet the judge to learn the details.

Su Bai and Li Xuezhen met Zhang Hongtao in detention and learned that political pressure had led to his conviction for perverting the law in judgment, despite his ruling staying within legal bounds. After Su Bai appealed to the Provincial High Court, Vice President Guan Yuandong weighed the risks of upholding the verdict against the pressure to do so.

• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen met Zhang Hongtao, who explained that the High Court had pressured the Intermediate People's Court and that he had admitted to some bias toward the plaintiff without ruling outside the law.
• Zhang Hongtao said he had hired White Jun Law Firm because Su Bai's reputation and influence could make the High Court consider the consequences of its decision.
• Su Bai promised to seek a second-instance hearing and submitted the appeal request to the Provincial High Court.
• Xiao Shan warned Guan Yuandong that Su Bai's involvement made upholding Zhang Hongtao's sentence risky, citing Su Bai's record and influence.
• Guan Yuandong searched for information about Su Bai and became concerned that upholding the sentence could cause trouble, but he also feared reversing it would contradict his earlier position and provoke political pressure.

Guan Yuandong and Xiao Shan arranged for the Provincial High Court to send Zhang Hongtao’s case back to the Procuratorate Department for supplementary investigation, shifting responsibility away from the court. Su Bai recognized the tactic, while Qin Xiao’s team planned to pressure Zhang Hongtao into pleading guilty by threatening to detain him for a year during the investigation.

• Guan Yuandong worried that either upholding or overturning Zhang Hongtao’s first-instance judgment would bring serious consequences, and Xiao Shan proposed shifting the case to the Procuratorate Department.
• Guan Yuandong approved Xiao Shan’s plan, and the Provincial High Court notified Su Bai that it had accepted the case but would delay the hearing while the Procuratorate Department supplemented the evidence.
• Su Bai explained to Li Xuezhen that the High Court was trying to avoid responsibility by making the Procuratorate Department bear the pressure and decide what happened next.
• Qin Xiao asked the Procuratorate Group leader how to handle the case, and the leader proposed getting Zhang Hongtao to plead guilty through friends’ persuasion.
• The Procuratorate Group leader said that if Zhang Hongtao refused to plead guilty, they could hold him for a year during supplementary investigation, and Qin Xiao approved the plan.

Prosecutors pressured Zhang Hongtao to confess to dereliction of duty by threatening to prolong the investigation, but he refused and asked to see his lawyer, Su Bai. After hearing what happened, Su Bai decided to apply for Zhang Hongtao’s release on bail pending trial while protecting his rights.

• Xu Mingyuan offered Zhang Hongtao a reduced sentence and possible probation if he confessed, while warning that refusing could mean a year of supplementary investigation and detention.
• Zhang Hongtao rejected the offer, maintained that he had committed no crime, and asked to meet his retained lawyer.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen visited Zhang Hongtao at the Huishi Detention Center, where he explained Xu Mingyuan’s pressure and the threat of prolonged investigation.
• Su Bai told Zhang Hongtao that he could apply for bail pending trial and said he would begin the application.
• Li Xuezhen urged Su Bai to report Xu Mingyuan, but Su Bai said they lacked evidence and should first secure Zhang Hongtao’s release.

Su Bai responded to Zhang Hongtao’s denied bail application by helping supporters send appeals to provincial leaders, prompting officials to arrange a hearing and agree on an acquittal. The chapter ended with Su Bai and Li Xuezhen waiting for the hearing, where Zhang Hongtao would be cleared but lose his public office.

• Xu Mingyuan told Qin Xiao that Zhang Hongtao could not qualify for mandatory bail until six months had passed, and Qin Xiao agreed to wait until then before releasing him on bail.
• After the bail application was rejected, Su Bai hinted to Li Xuezhen that he would act outside the usual legal process and arranged for people Zhang Hongtao had helped to mail appeals to provincial leaders.
• A leader ordered officials to resolve Zhang Hongtao’s case quickly, prompting Qin Xiao and Guan Yuandong to agree on an acquittal while removing Zhang Hongtao from public office.
• Guan Yuandong informed Xiao Shan of the plan, and the court scheduled a hearing for the next few days.
• Su Bai explained to Li Xuezhen that Zhang Hongtao’s former beneficiaries had sent the letters voluntarily, and they prepared to attend the hearing.

Su Bai secured Zhang Hongtao’s acquittal in the second-instance hearing, and Zhang expected to return to his judicial post. Half a month later, Zhang told Su Bai that the court had dismissed him anyway, prompting Su Bai to see a new chance to pursue those responsible.

• Su Bai argued that Zhang Hongtao’s ruling had been lawful and asked the Provincial High Court to overturn the first-instance conviction.
• Xiao Shan announced the second-instance judgment, overturning the conviction and finding Zhang Hongtao not guilty; the court released him immediately.
• Zhang Hongtao thanked Su Bai and said he hoped to return to his post, while acknowledging that the people who had targeted him might face no consequences.
• Li Xuezhen complained that Xu Mingyuan and Xiao Shan should be imprisoned, but Su Bai explained that there was no evidence of wrongdoing or disciplinary violations.
• Half a month later, Zhang Hongtao told Su Bai that the court had dismissed him for irregular sentencing and violating provincial law, and asked Su Bai to take on another case.

Su Bai accepted Zhang Hongtao’s case challenging the refusal to restore his public office and sought reconsideration, while court officials and representative He Jun maneuvered to make the dismissal official. He Jun approved a document accusing Zhang Hongtao of misconduct, leaving the decision’s consequences pending.

• Su Bai agreed to represent Zhang Hongtao and advised him to request reconsideration and demand a formal written explanation before appealing further.
• Guan Yuandong and Xiao Shan agreed that the court could not formally dismiss Zhang Hongtao without a document from the representatives’ side, so Guan Yuandong contacted He Jun.
• He Jun told Guan Yuandong to cooperate and ordered his secretary to prepare a document stating Zhang Hongtao had violated regulations and should be dismissed.
• He Jun reviewed and approved the dismissal document, directing his secretary to verify it and send it to the Basic Court.
• Li Xuezhen anticipated that the authorities would deny the reconsideration request and looked forward to the consequences.

After Zhang Hongtao’s dismissal reconsideration was denied, Su Bai used the legislative department’s official document to seek guidance from the Supreme People’s Court. The court and the highest legislative body ordered the dismissal document revoked and the matter investigated, leaving He Jun worried about the consequences.

• Li Xuezhen showed Su Bai the official document confirming Zhang Hongtao’s dismissal, and they discussed challenging it through higher authorities.
• Su Bai asked Luo Daxiang to submit Zhang Hongtao’s case to the Supreme People’s Court for guidance, and Luo agreed after reviewing the evidence.
• Luo Daxiang’s contact at the Supreme People’s Court, Li Mu, found the case significant and brought it to court leaders for discussion.
• The Supreme People’s Court and the highest legislative department agreed that Zhang Hongtao’s dismissal document had to be revoked and that the responsible people must be investigated.
• The Supreme People’s Court issued case guidance and directed the High Court to handle the matter.
• Guan Yuandong told He Jun that the Supreme People’s Court had intervened, and He Jun began worrying that the case could threaten his promotion.

After the Supreme People's Court intervened in Zhang Hongtao's case, he was reinstated, while He Jun worried that an investigation into his interference could derail his promotion. The investigation team uncovered a report alleging that He Mu was not merely He Jun's nephew but his illegitimate son, raising the prospect of more serious findings.

• The Supreme People's Court issued legal guidance, and the Supreme Legislature ordered the Provincial Representative Department to revoke Zhang Hongtao's disciplinary measures.
• Xiao Shan informed Su Bai that Zhang Hongtao would be reinstated and said the Court had faced pressure during the case; Su Bai said the investigation would provide an answer.
• An investigation team questioned He Jun about dismissing Zhang Hongtao, his relationship with He Mu, and possible favoritism or retaliation.
• He Jun's former superior told him the matter might warrant only a minor warning, though the team leader warned that interfering in judicial proceedings was serious and could affect his promotion.
• The investigation team searched recent reports about He Jun and found an email alleging that He Mu was He Jun's illegitimate son, then reported the discovery as significant.

He Jun lost his promotion and received a major demerit, demotion, and transfer after an investigation into his role in Zhang Hongtao’s case. With the case’s participants held accountable and Zhang Hongtao reinstated, Su Bai and Li Xuezhen celebrated the law firm’s progress and set their wedding for the eighth day after the New Year.

• The Supreme Representatives’ Discussion Room decided to report He Jun’s violations and leads to the relevant departments without shielding him.
• The Central Supervisory Commission found He Jun seriously at fault and ordered a major demerit, demotion, and transfer to an idle department.
• The Provincial Supervisory Commission disciplined those involved in Zhang Hongtao’s case, including dismissing Xu Mingyuan and referring him for prosecution.
• Su Bai learned that the case’s participants had been punished, and he told Li Xuezhen that the outcome had established the Shendu branch office.
• Li Xuezhen complained that the punishments were too light, and Su Bai explained why the law did not allow everyone involved to be sent to prison.
• Su Bai chose the eighth day after the New Year for his wedding with Li Xuezhen, who eagerly counted down to the date.

White Jun Law Firm continued expanding as Su Bai and Li Xuezhen celebrated the New Year with her parents and watched fireworks together. Afterward, Su Bai faced a tempting choice from the system but chose to remain with the life he already had.

• White Jun Law Firm's growing influence brought it close to Su Bai's goal of becoming the country's ninth Red Circle law firm.
• Su Bai handed the firm's holiday business to Han Chen and went with Li Xuezhen to meet her parents for the New Year.
• Xiao Ya warmly welcomed Su Bai, while Old Li obeyed her warning not to drink; Li Xuezhen explained that her parents had supported each other through hardship.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen watched fireworks at Southern Capital New District Plaza and promised to return every year.
• After returning home, Su Bai saw new options on the system panel and chose not to pursue them, embracing Li Xuezhen instead.

Su Bai and Li Xuezhen celebrated their wedding with blessings from family, friends, colleagues, and online viewers, then spent their wedding night together. Su Bai told Li Xuezhen he had made an important choice, and she was certain he had chosen her.

• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen met her relatives, reviewed the wedding plans, and married before guests and livestream viewers who offered their congratulations.
• Li Xuezhen recalled how Su Bai had guided her and how they had supported each other through years of legal cases before answering that she wanted to marry him.
• Wang Kexin caught Li Xuezhen's bouquet and brought it to Xu Xiang, while Li Xuezhen's father grew emotional as he gave her hand to Su Bai.
• On their wedding night, Li Xuezhen teased Su Bai for still calling him Lawyer Su, then called him hubby and asked him to get down to serious business.
• Li Xuezhen asked Su Bai what had been on his mind a few nights earlier, and he said he had made an important choice; she declared that he had chosen her and climbed on top of him again.

As White Jun Law Firm prepared to compete for a place among the country’s eight Red Circle Law Firms, Li Xuezhen learned of a massive financial dispute in Upper Capital. She set out to secure the case, which could boost the firm’s ranking prospects.

• Li Xuezhen handed out New Year red envelopes at White Jun Law Firm, while Xu Xiang congratulated Su Bai on his marriage and asked whether the firm would enter the upcoming Red Circle ranking assessment.
• Su Bai agreed to participate and told the firm to seek influential cases, especially in regions served by the Upper Capital branch.
• Li Xuezhen searched for a major financial case but found none until Wang Kexin called with details of a group dispute involving two to five billion yuan deposited in a bank and invested in a failed project.
• Wang Kexin told Li Xuezhen that the clients were considering several firms, including another Red Circle Law Firm, so Li Xuezhen resolved to contact them quickly and win the retainer.

Su Bai met Jiang Wei about a mass claim over Laihai Bank’s collapse and agreed to represent the investors seeking to recover roughly 4.5 billion yuan in principal. After signing the engagement, Su Bai suspected the bank’s collapse concealed a larger scheme and asked Li Xuezhen to investigate through her father’s banking contacts.

• Li Xuezhen told Su Bai that Jiang Wei was willing to meet White Jun Law Firm, and Su Bai decided to pursue the case before another firm secured it.
• Jiang Wei explained that other law firms, including Junhe Law Firm, had hesitated to promise results and asked Su Bai whether the investors could recover their savings.
• Su Bai said the bank had committed illegal and regulatory violations, but he could not guarantee repayment without knowing its finances; he added that other procedures might offer a way to recover principal.
• Jiang Wei retained White Jun Law Firm, trusting Su Bai to help the investors recover their money.
• Su Bai estimated that about 4.5 billion yuan in principal-protected investments had disappeared and asked Li Xuezhen to seek information about Laihai Bank through her father.
• Li Xuezhen raised the possibility that Laihai Bank had used investment products to conduct illegal fundraising, and Su Bai said they needed more information about the collapse.

Su Bai and Li Xuezhen prepared to sue Laihai Bank over more than four billion in missing wealth management funds, and the Upper Capital East District Intermediate Court accepted the case. After Yu Wandong told Lin Sheng about the lawsuit and the alleged misuse of principal-guaranteed funds, Lin Sheng summoned his youngest son home.

• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen gathered investor evidence and filed an appeal against Laihai Bank, which the Upper Capital East District Intermediate Court accepted.
• Yu Wandong called Meng Zijian to discuss the lawsuit and the bank’s exposure over the missing funds.
• Meng Zijian argued that Laihai Bank could delay repayments and rely on the contracts’ non-principal-guaranteed terms, while expecting Lin Sheng’s family to handle the fallout.
• Yu Wandong called Lin Sheng and explained the missing funds and lawsuit.
• Lin Sheng, furious that his youngest son had misappropriated more than four billion from principal-guaranteed products, ordered him to come home immediately.

Lin Feng’s father learned that Lin Feng had misappropriated more than four billion yuan and tried to shield him while warning him to stay home. At the trial over Laihai Bank’s lost investments, Shangfeng Law Firm introduced the purchase agreement stating that the product did not guarantee principal, leaving Su Bai’s case in danger of collapse.

• Lin Sheng summoned Lin Feng home and warned him that investigators could still pursue him over the misappropriated funds.
• Lin Feng confessed that he had invested the money to prove himself, and Lin Sheng told him to prepare for the worst and remain at home.
• At the East District Court, Su Bai argued that Laihai Bank had to repay the plaintiffs because they had bought a principal-guaranteed product.
• Yu Manchun denied responsibility and submitted the product’s purchase agreement, which stated that it did not guarantee principal.
• Su Bai compared the agreement with the plaintiffs’ screenshots and realized the contract was stronger evidence, threatening the plaintiffs’ claims.

Su Bai’s case against Laihai Bank faltered when the bank produced an agreement showing the wealth management product was non-principal-protected, while the plaintiff could not prove the bank had misrepresented it. He withdrew the suit and planned to seek a regulatory investigation, while Yu Manchun believed his firm had little chance of proving the bank’s misconduct.

• Yu Manchun argued that the agreement made the product non-principal-protected and that the plaintiff and the third-party platform, not Laihai Bank, bore responsibility.
• Su Bai argued that Laihai Bank had caused the third-party platform to label the product principal-protected and requested an adjournment to investigate possible misconduct.
• The presiding judge advised Su Bai to withdraw the suit and gather evidence before filing again, and Su Bai accepted.
• Outside court, Li Xuezhen asked Su Bai what they should do, and he decided to report Laihai Bank to the China Banking Regulatory Commission.
• Yu Manchun watched Su Bai’s group leave and believed they would be unable to establish Laihai Bank’s misconduct through ordinary channels.

After the China Banking Regulatory Commission imposed only a small fine on Laihai Bank and failed to address the alleged illegal fundraising, Su Bai turned to the media and public opinion. His three questions about the vanished four billion-plus pushed the case onto trending searches, where people awaited an answer.

• Su Bai submitted evidence against Laihai Bank to the China Banking Regulatory Commission, and the commission accepted the report for investigation.
• Su Bai reassured Jiang Wei and the investors that the commission had to respond, while Li Xuezhen explained that similar cases could lead to criminal penalties.
• The commission sent Su Bai a report that fined Laihai Bank two million but did not address whether it had engaged in illegal fundraising.
• Su Bai told Li Xuezhen to contact the media and posted a video questioning the handling of the case.
• Su Bai published three questions about Laihai Bank's investment labels, the destination of the funds, and the investigation's findings, sending the case onto trending searches.