Chapter Summaries

During Wang Mingxuan’s appeal hearing, Su Bai challenged the prosecution’s claim that Wang had foreseen Lin Xiu jumping from his vehicle, and the presiding judge found no compelling evidence for that claim. The hearing recessed while the judges deliberated, leaving the panel divided over whether Wang should be convicted.

• Su Bai objected when Lü Hongmei argued that Wang Mingxuan had foreseen Lin Xiu jumping, demanding evidence rather than subjective inference.
• Jiang Hetao identified the dispute as whether Wang had known or foreseen Lin Xiu would jump, then questioned Wang, who said he slowed down to warn her and called emergency services after she jumped.
• The court recessed for an hour, and Lü Hongmei told Xu Qing that she expected the prosecution to make its case in court statements.
• In the deliberation room, Feng Qian argued for conviction based on the outcome and public opinion, while Zhang Yingying insisted that guilt required legal grounds and evidence.
• Jiang Hetao stopped their argument and asked Feng Qian and Zhang Yingying to review the evidence and both sides’ statements again.

During Wang Mingxuan’s appeal hearing, the court ruled that Lin Xiu had jumped from the vehicle on her own and that the evidence did not show he foresaw her actions. The prosecution’s new medical evidence was rejected, leaving the final judgment pending and the question of the judges’ inclinations in focus.

• Jiang Hetao summarized the three disputed questions and began examining whether Wang Mingxuan bore criminal responsibility for Lin Xiu’s jump.
• The court found that although Wang Mingxuan knew Lin Xiu was frightened, her decision to jump was not caused by him and he bore no criminal responsibility for it.
• Jiang Hetao ruled that Wang Mingxuan’s braking and seeing Lin Xiu lean out did not prove he anticipated that she would jump.
• Lü Hongmei submitted Lin Xiu’s medical diagnosis as new evidence, but Jiang Hetao ruled it irrelevant and invalid.
• Lü Hongmei told Xu Qing there was still hope before the final judgment, while Li Xuezhen watched Feng Qian as Su Bai anticipated the crucial stage of the trial.

Su Bai challenged the prosecution’s subjective arguments by citing Article 55 and the lack of reliable evidence against Wang Mingxuan. Presiding Judge Jiang Hetao sided with Zhang Yingying, and the court overturned the first-instance ruling and acquitted Wang Mingxuan.

• Lü Hongmei argued that Wang Mingxuan had foreseen Lin Xiu’s danger and urged the court to consider public opinion and women’s rights.
• Su Bai attacked Lü Hongmei’s closing statement and cited Article 55 to argue that the prosecution had no substantive evidence proving Wang Mingxuan guilty.
• During recess, Zhang Yingying argued for acquittal, while Feng Qian continued to favor a ruling based on social impact.
• Jiang Hetao supported Zhang Yingying, criticized Feng Qian’s bias, and said he would request her transfer from her judicial position.
• Jiang Hetao overturned the first-instance judgment, found Wang Mingxuan not guilty, and ordered his release in court.

After Wang Mingxuan was acquitted and released, Su Bai advised him on the aftermath of his case and returned to Southern Capital. As the trial footage sparked public outrage over Lü Hongmei’s conduct, the Prosecution suspended her, revoked her status as a public prosecutor, and transferred her to another department.

• Jiang Hetao ignored Feng Qian’s apology after the verdict and left, while Zhang Yingying recognized his concerns about Feng Qian’s judgment.
• Wang Mingxuan and Xia Xue thanked Su Bai for securing his acquittal, and reporters crowded around Su Bai and Wang Mingxuan as they left the courthouse.
• Su Bai advised Wang Mingxuan and Xia Xue on potential disputes, civil matters, and state compensation before returning to Southern Capital with Li Xuezhen and Wang Li.
• News of Wang Mingxuan’s acquittal spread online, and the trial footage prompted viewers and lawyers to criticize Lü Hongmei’s questioning.
• After investigating the footage and Lü Hongmei’s account, the Prosecution ruled that her questioning violated procedure, suspended her, revoked her prosecutor status, and transferred her to another department.

After the first-instance verdict in Wang Mingxuan's case drew public scrutiny, Shadu acknowledged problems and changed its judge-assignment rules. Su Bai then set up a short-video account to attract clients, and Li Xuezhen brought him a case that appeared to be a well-known miscarriage of justice.

• Netizens questioned the large difference between the first- and second-instance verdicts, and Shadu said it would investigate before acknowledging problems and revising how judges were assigned.
• Su Bai asked Li Xuezhen to create and maintain a short-video account for White Jun Law Firm to provide a way for prospective clients to reach the firm.
• Li Xuezhen struggled to attract views, and Su Bai asked Luo Daxiang to promote the account.
• Luo Daxiang tagged White Jun Law Firm in a video, bringing the account more than ten thousand followers.
• Li Xuezhen found a prospective client's case details in the account's messages, and Su Bai checked the information against Trial Network.
• Su Bai said the case could be taken if further verification confirmed the details, and Li Xuezhen recognized it as a chance to earn achievement points.

Su Bai reviewed Li Xiangfang’s request to overturn her son’s life sentence and agreed to represent her after she traveled to Southern Capital. Her account of a discouraged appeal raised the possibility of serious problems in the case, leaving Su Bai to investigate the evidence and potential misconduct.

• Su Bai asked Li Xuezhen to verify Li Xiangfang’s identity and case before the firm considered representing her.
• After reviewing the first-instance judgment, Su Bai noted that Li Xiangfang’s son had been convicted of sexual assault and murder, sentenced to life imprisonment, and maintained that he was innocent.
• Su Bai advised Xu Xiang to argue a separate triple-homicide case based on the defendant’s psychological state and voluntary surrender.
• Li Xiangfang traveled to Southern Capital, met Su Bai, and signed a representation agreement for her son’s case.
• Li Xiangfang explained that someone had warned her an appeal could lead to a harsher sentence, and that other lawyers had refused the case.
• Su Bai suspected the case might involve serious problems and possible conflict with prosecutors and law enforcement.

Su Bai and Li Xuezhen investigated Lin Haoxue’s six-year-old conviction, obtained the first-instance case file, and found serious problems with the evidence used against him. After meeting Lin Haoxue in prison and confirming key details, Su Bai prepared to seek prosecution to overturn the conviction.

• Su Bai asked Li Xiangfang about the person who had discouraged her from appealing, but she could not remember who it was.
• Su Bai obtained Lin Haoxue’s first-instance case file from Jiangdu Intermediate Court after learning that copying it would take several days.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen found that the evidence supporting Lin Haoxue’s conviction was inadequate, and Su Bai said the Supreme People’s Court had rejected the original judgment during review.
• Li Xuezhen used her connections to arrange a prison visit with Lin Haoxue while ensuring the required procedures were followed.
• Su Bai questioned Lin Haoxue, who insisted he remembered the incident clearly and had committed no crime.
• Su Bai concluded that the case was likely a serious miscarriage of justice and said they would submit materials seeking prosecution once they were ready.

After the Jiangdu Higher People's Court accepted Lin Haoxue's retrial, Su Bai prepared to challenge the wrongful conviction while an unidentified man tried to persuade him to abandon the case. As the public hearing began, Su Bai's team, Law Enforcement, and the Prosecution waited to argue their positions.

• The Jiangdu Higher People's Court accepted Lin Haoxue's retrial after finding problems with the first-instance proceedings, and an unidentified man worried about Su Bai's involvement.
• Li Xiangfang visited Su Bai, who assured her that he believed they could win the case, and Han Chen told Su Bai that someone had offered him one million to drop it.
• Su Bai refused the offer and contacted Luo Daxiang about the case, while the unidentified man sought information about the lawyers representing the Prosecution and Law Enforcement.
• Before the hearing, Li Xuezhen told Su Bai what she had learned about Lin Haoxue's case and verified her client's account, and the court arranged for Lin Haoxue to attend.
• Yan Xiangshang reviewed Law Enforcement's weak case materials while prosecutor Kong Jiantu prepared to argue cautiously as the public hearing approached.

Su Bai argued in court that Lin Haoxue’s conviction lacked compelling evidence and sought his acquittal, compensation, and an apology. The hearing continued with Yan Xiangshang preparing to defend the accused party against Su Bai’s challenges.

• Presiding Judge Wang Jianjun opened the retrial, verified the parties’ identities, and confirmed that no one requested the judges’ recusal.
• Su Bai outlined the six-year-old case and requested that Lin Haoxue’s conviction be overturned, that he be acquitted, and that he receive compensation and a public apology.
• Prosecutor Kong Jiantu acknowledged that the case had questionable points but said the outcome should depend on the evidence and facts.
• Yan Xiangshang denied that the accused party had been negligent and demanded that Su Bai’s accusations be dismissed and that he apologize in court.
• Su Bai argued that the evidence against Lin Haoxue was insufficient, challenged the use of suspicion and inconsistent statements, and cited Article 55 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
• Yan Xiangshang looked over his materials and prepared to respond to Su Bai’s arguments.

At Lin Haoxue’s hearing, Su Bai challenged the DNA report used to support the accusation, arguing that investigators had failed to verify Lin Haoxue’s explanation for the bloodstains and had relied on the report without following proper procedure. The judges ordered the accused party to substantiate the report’s accuracy and process, and Su Bai pressed Yan Xiangshang on whether the procedure itself could have been falsified.

• Yan Xiangshang denied that Law Enforcement had targeted Lin Haoxue merely because he found the victim’s body and argued that the DNA evidence and Lin Haoxue’s confession justified transferring the case to the Prosecution.
• Su Bai cited Article 50 of the Criminal Procedure Law and argued that DNA could not establish guilt by itself, especially because investigators had not checked Lin Haoxue’s explanation for the bloodstains.
• Yan Xiangshang grew uneasy as Su Bai challenged the source and procedural integrity of the DNA report, while viewers, Hu Yulong, and Kong Jiantu watched the hearing with concern or relief.
• Wang Jianjun summarized the dispute as whether the DNA report established Lin Haoxue’s guilt, and Kong Jiantu declined to make a statement.
• Su Bai challenged the DNA report’s authenticity, and Wang Jianjun ordered the accused party to provide its complete procedure and evidence of accuracy.
• After reviewing the documents Yan Xiangshang provided, Su Bai asked how he could prove that the report’s procedure had not been falsified, and Yan Xiangshang replied that the institution had verified it and offered retesting.

Su Bai challenged the legality of the DNA appraisal in Lin Haoxue’s appeal, then presented evidence supporting Lin’s account of how he got his scratches. The hearing recessed with acquittal looking likely, while the judges considered how to rule and whether to address the accusations against the accused party.

• Su Bai argued that procedural irregularities and missing evidence raised doubts about the DNA appraisal and Lin Haoxue’s wrongful conviction.
• Presiding Judge Wang Jianjun questioned Lin Haoxue, who said he had explained that a female classmate scratched him; Su Bai submitted her recording as supporting evidence.
• The prosecution and Yan Xiangshang declined to make further statements, and Wang Jianjun recessed the hearing for one hour.
• During the recess, Li Xuezhen asked Su Bai whether they would win, while Yan Xiangshang worried about the consequences of losing.
• Luo Daxiang explained the hearing’s arguments to livestream viewers, who discussed the wrongful conviction and called for the case to gain public attention.
• Wang Jianjun, Zhou Yun, and Zhu Chaoyang discussed the likely acquittal and whether the judgment should also address the accused party’s conduct.

At Lin Haoxue’s second-instance hearing, presiding judge Wang Jianjun ruled the original DNA report inadmissible after Yan Xiangshang failed to establish its lawful provenance. The court overturned Lin Haoxue’s first-instance conviction, acquitted him, ordered his immediate release and state compensation, and found Law Enforcement negligent; the written judgment was due within fifteen days.

• Wang Jianjun asked Yan Xiangshang to produce the DNA report’s procedural records, but Yan requested permission to submit them after the hearing.
• Wang Jianjun ruled the DNA report inadmissible, and Yan withdrew his objection and accepted a warning for disrupting proceedings.
• Kong Jiantu waived the prosecution’s statement, while Yan denied Law Enforcement’s negligence and Su Bai argued that its procedural failures had caused Lin Haoxue’s wrongful conviction.
• Wang Jianjun announced that the first-instance judgment lacked a factual and legal basis and overturned Lin Haoxue’s conviction.
• Wang Jianjun found Lin Haoxue not guilty and ordered his immediate release, state compensation, and a public apology from the negligent law enforcement unit.

After Lin Haoxue was acquitted, Su Bai explained the next legal steps and proposed seeking a supervisory review to investigate those responsible for his wrongful conviction. Lin Haoxue agreed, as the case drew widespread attention and the inquiry was set to begin.

• Wang Jianjun announced Lin Haoxue's release, and Lin Haoxue reunited tearfully with Li Xiangfang after six years in prison.
• Li Xuezhen reflected on the importance of defense lawyers, while Su Bai reminded Lin Haoxue that post-trial matters remained.
• Luo Daxiang said the case needed a supervisory review, then his posted trial footage sparked a massive public outcry.
• Hu Yulong worried that the case's defeat would bring serious consequences and that its impact might spread.
• Su Bai gave Li Xiangfang the materials for state compensation and recommended a supervisory review of the police, prosecution, and courts.
• Lin Haoxue agreed to seek a supervisory review so those responsible for his wrongful conviction would be held accountable.

Su Bai recruited experienced criminal lawyer Fang Yuan as White Jun Law Firm expanded, while public pressure and a supervisory review led Jiangdu authorities to investigate Lin Haoxue’s wrongful-conviction case. Ten people were prosecuted, including Hu Yulong, and Li Xuezhen celebrated the Achievement Points she gained from the case.

• Su Bai asked Xiao Haibo to recommend a criminal lawyer, and Xiao contacted Fang Yuan, an experienced lawyer considering a change of firms.
• Fang Yuan joined White Jun Law Firm after meeting Su Bai and agreeing to the employment terms.
• As public attention and the supervisory review intensified, Jiangdu authorities investigated Lin Haoxue’s case and took ten people into custody, including Hu Yulong.
• Jiangdu authorities brought public prosecutions against all ten, charging Hu Yulong with dereliction of duty and perjury.
• Su Bai informed Lin Haoxue and Li Xiangfang about the prosecutions, while Li Xuezhen rejoiced over her increased Achievement Points and regretted that no judge was among the accused.

Li Xuezhen followed the growth of White Jun Law Firm’s short-video account and agreed to apply for Nandu University of Law’s outstanding graduate selection after hearing it could bring career benefits. At the firm, Duan Liang handed Su Bai a difficult insurance dispute against an insurance company’s legal team.

• Jiangdu authorities prosecuted the personnel who violated regulations in Lin Haoxue’s case and promised to keep searching for the real killer.
• Li Xuezhen showed Wang Kexin the firm’s rapidly growing short-video account and its many consultation messages.
• Fang Yuan asked Su Bai to hire the trainee lawyer from his former firm, and Su Bai agreed to the firm’s standard salary and benefits.
• Feng Lijian invited Li Xuezhen to apply as an outstanding graduate, and she changed her mind after learning the selection could bring benefits at the firm.
• Duan Liang told Wang Kangjie he was struggling with an insurance case and then asked Su Bai to take it over.
• Su Bai reviewed Duan Liang’s case file and recognized that the opposing insurance company’s legal team would make the dispute difficult.

Su Bai took over a case in which Quanan Insurance had refused an accident-disability claim and convicted the policyholder of insurance fraud. After meeting the client, Su Bai confirmed the man denied committing fraud and learned he wanted the charge dropped and his insurance compensation paid.

• Su Bai reviewed the case file and accepted the insurance dispute from Duan Liang, who had worried about the firm’s reputation.
• Su Bai messaged Li Xuezhen, who said she was preparing for the Outstanding Graduate selection and asked whether his promise to make her a partner was genuine.
• Old Li visited Feng Lijian to ask about Li Xuezhen’s chances of becoming an Outstanding Graduate and whether a suitor had appeared; Feng Lijian concealed that Li Xuezhen had feelings for someone outside the university.
• Old Li met Li Xuezhen at the university and celebrated her graduation and expected award.
• Su Bai questioned the injured policyholder, who denied insurance fraud and said he wanted the charge dismissed and the compensation he was owed.

After returning from school, Li Xuezhen joined Su Bai to investigate He Dongsheng’s insurance-fraud conviction. Su Bai gathered evidence by buying a policy from Quan'an Insurance and filed suit at the Nandu Intermediate Court, leaving the insurer’s legal department alarmed by allegations that its staff had steered He Dongsheng.

• Li Xuezhen received Nandu University of Law’s Outstanding Graduate award, and Feng Lijian reassured her that he knew she had interned at White Jun Law Firm.
• Li Xuezhen returned to the firm, where Su Bai explained that He Dongsheng’s case might not involve actual insurance fraud and gave her the case file.
• Su Bai and Li Xuezhen visited Quan'an Insurance, where Su Bai bought an accident policy and recorded the saleswoman’s answers as evidence.
• Su Bai petitioned the Nandu Intermediate Court to overturn He Dongsheng’s first-instance judgment, obtain his insurance compensation, and challenge the insurer’s legal staff for steering him.
• The Nandu Intermediate Court accepted the case, and Quan'an Insurance’s legal department grew worried about the allegations against its staff.

Quanan Insurance’s legal team planned to contain He Dongsheng’s lawsuit by offering a settlement, but Su Bai rejected their terms and ended mediation. When the insurer secretly contacted He Dongsheng to negotiate without Su Bai, He Dongsheng immediately told his lawyer, who encouraged him to proceed as planned.

• Wang Haiyang warned Li Shuangjun and Gu Bin that Su Bai and White Jun Law Firm could cause serious reputational damage, and instructed them to settle with He Dongsheng if possible.
• He Dongsheng told Su Bai he wanted only the insurance money he was owed and did not want extra compensation.
• At mediation, Li Shuangjun offered He Dongsheng 300,000 in compensation, but Su Bai demanded the insurance benefits and acknowledgment that the accusation against He Dongsheng had been improper.
• Su Bai rejected Quanan Insurance’s revised offer and ended mediation when the company refused his minimum terms.
• Li Shuangjun and Gu Bin decided to approach He Dongsheng directly, and Li Shuangjun called him to arrange further negotiations.
• He Dongsheng told Su Bai about the call, and Su Bai advised him to continue the talks while following his instructions.

Su Bai prepared He Dongsheng to record Quanan Insurance’s private settlement offer, hoping to preserve evidence of its conduct. He Dongsheng rejected the offer, and Quanan Insurance decided to fight the case in court, leaving Su Bai confident that the recording would help at the hearing.

• After court mediation failed, Su Bai instructed He Dongsheng to notify him if Quanan Insurance approached him privately and to record their conversation.
• Li Shuangjun visited He Dongsheng and offered up to eight hundred thousand yuan plus medical-cost reimbursement in exchange for withdrawing the lawsuit, but He Dongsheng refused and demanded that Quanan Insurance withdraw its allegations and pay his claim.
• Li Shuangjun recorded the discussion openly, while He Dongsheng also secretly recorded it as Su Bai had instructed.
• He Dongsheng gave the recording to Su Bai, who treated it as important evidence and supplied him with more recorders for any future conversations.
• Li Shuangjun told Wang Haiyang that He Dongsheng had rejected the offer, and Wang Haiyang ordered the legal team to prepare for trial instead of settling.

Su Bai represented He Dongsheng in a second-instance hearing against Quanan Insurance, seeking to overturn his insurance-fraud conviction and hold the insurer responsible for malicious accusations and unpaid benefits. Li Shuangjun countered by accusing He Dongsheng’s side of defaming the company, while Su Bai faced him with a confident smile.

• Nandu Intermediate Court consolidated He Dongsheng’s appeal with Wang Li’s bank case after both sides rejected mediation.
• Li Xuezhen and Su Bai entered the courtroom alongside Quanan Insurance’s lawyers, Li Shuangjun and Gu Bin, and prosecutor Hu Bing; Du Linmu presided over the hearing.
• Su Bai sought He Dongsheng’s acquittal, damages for malicious accusations and emotional distress, insurance compensation of 958,674.52 yuan, and legal costs.
• Hu Bing said the prosecution considered He Dongsheng suspected of insurance fraud unless crucial evidence disproved it.
• Li Shuangjun denied that Quanan Insurance had made a malicious accusation and asked the court to dismiss the appeal and require He Dongsheng’s side to apologize for damaging the company’s reputation.
• Li Shuangjun anticipated winning and threatened to sue over reputational damage if he prevailed, but Su Bai smiled confidently at him.