A Meeting Within the High Walls

A few days later, Zhou Wenyuan formally submitted a request to meet with his client at the city detention center in his capacity as retained counsel.

The process did not go smoothly. The first request was rejected outright on vague grounds. Unperturbed, Zhou Wenyuan made a call to a certain senior official at the city bureau. The request was soon accepted for processing, but the meeting was scheduled for three days later.

Zhang Qian was clearly obstructing him and stalling for time. But Zhou Wenyuan's influence had evidently exceeded her expectations.

The day of the meeting.

The sticky, humid air carried a mixture of disinfectant and sweat, and Cell 107 was as dreary as ever. Lin Feng was leaning against a rolled-up bedding bundle with his eyes closed, sorting through the information about the outside world that Zhou Wenyuan had passed on to him.

The iron door was pushed open with a clang. Officer Wang, who was responsible for their block, stood in the doorway with a stern face. His gaze swept around the cell before settling on Lin Feng.

"Lin Feng! Out!"

His voice was not loud, but it was like a stone thrown into stagnant water. Everyone in the cell tensed instinctively, stealing glances at Lin Feng with curiosity or awe. Scar scrambled to his feet, an ingratiating smile instantly spreading across his face. He came a couple of steps closer and whispered, "Brother Feng, if it's a blessing, it's not a curse; if it's a curse, there's no escaping it. You..."

Lin Feng did not even lift his eyelids. He simply sat up slowly and put on the plastic slippers with their clearly visible number. His movements were unhurried, showing no trace of panic. He knew it was most likely the lawyer meeting Zhou Wenyuan had arranged.

He followed Officer Wang out of the cell, and the heavy iron door clanged shut and locked behind him. The corridor was long, with identical iron doors lining both sides. Occasionally, vacant eyes peered out through the viewing holes. Their footsteps echoed through the empty corridor, sounding especially clear.

Officer Wang walked half a step ahead of him and to the side, saying nothing, only occasionally glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. Lin Feng's face was calm, his gaze fixed straight ahead, but his mind was working quickly. This was his first opportunity to have relatively formal contact with the outside world, even if a thick pane of glass stood between them.

After passing through several iron doors and multiple inspections, he was brought to a somewhat cleaner area. A sign for the lawyer meeting rooms hung nearby.

"Go in. You know the rules: you're separated by glass, and you use the phone. Time is limited." Officer Wang pointed succinctly at one of the doors.

Lin Feng nodded, pushed the door open and went inside.

The room was small, divided in two by a thick, transparent glass wall. Beneath the glass was a small pass-through, normally used to hand over documents, but it was tightly closed at the moment. An old-fashioned black telephone receiver was fixed on each side of the glass.

Three people were already sitting on the other side.

The man in the middle wore a neatly pressed dark suit, his hair meticulously combed. His eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were sharp and composed. It was Zhou Wenyuan, whom Lin Feng had long known in his consciousness. And to either side of Zhou Wenyuan-

Lin Feng's heart felt as though something had given it a gentle knock.

On the left was the original owner's father, Lin Jianguo. In his memories, the man had been quiet but had always held his back straight. Now, as though crushed by an invisible burden, he sat hunched over in an old jacket with a frayed collar. More than half his hair had turned white, his face was sallow from prolonged lack of sleep and lined with deep wrinkles, and his large, rough hands were nervously wringing each other, his knuckles white from the pressure.

On the right was his mother, Zhang Fen. Her eyes were swollen like peaches, and her face was streaked with tears. Her once fairly full cheeks had sunk in, and she had aged considerably. As soon as she saw Lin Feng come in, she pitched forward, nearly throwing herself against the glass. Tears welled up again in an instant, and her lips trembled as she called his childhood name without a sound.

Overwhelming heartache and an unfamiliar stirring swept over Lin Feng. Those were the original owner's lingering emotions, as well as his own most instinctive sympathy for these humble, suffering parents. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the emotions churning inside him, walked to the glass and picked up the receiver on his side.

Almost at the same instant, Zhang Fen snatched up the receiver on the other side and pressed it to her ear. Her voice came through the line, choked with sobs and accompanied by a hissing crackle. "Xiao Feng! My boy! You've suffered! Boo-hoo... Did they beat you? Have you been going hungry? Are you cold?"

Her voice was broken, filled with a mother's desperate love, and it made the heart ache to hear it.

Lin Jianguo hurriedly leaned in too, pressing his ear close to the receiver. His eyes were red, and his voice was hoarse and urgent. "Xiao Feng, how are you? What on earth happened? Don't be afraid. Your mother and I will get you out, even if it costs us our lives!"

Lin Feng looked at the two anxious, despairing faces across the glass. Their concern was utterly genuine, without a trace of pretense. He was silent for a few seconds, steadying his breathing, before speaking into the receiver, keeping his voice as even as he could. "Dad, Mom, I'm fine."

He paused, then added, "In here... no one's making things hard for me. The food and the accommodations are all right. Don't worry about me. Take care of yourselves. Dad, your back isn't good, and Mom, don't keep crying all the time. It's bad for your eyes."

His tone was so calm, even carrying a composure at odds with his age and circumstances, that Lin Jianguo and Zhang Fen were momentarily stunned, their tearful outpouring cut short. They had imagined their son crying, being afraid, or telling them how he had suffered, but they had never imagined this reaction.

Through tear-blurred eyes, Zhang Fen studied her son. His face was thinner and his chin sharper, but his eyes were clear, with none of the panic or numbness she had expected. Instead, there was a depth and composure... she could not quite put into words. Though his clothes were the most ordinary detention uniform, they looked clean and neat. Could it be... that her son really had not suffered terribly?

At that moment, Zhou Wenyuan gently patted Zhang Fen on the shoulder, indicating that she should let him speak. Only then did Zhang Fen realize she had lost her composure. She handed him the receiver with a sob, still covering her mouth with a handkerchief as tears streamed down her face.

"Lin Feng, I'm your attorney, Zhou Wenyuan." Zhou Wenyuan's voice came through the phone line, calm and professional, carrying a reassuring strength. "Your parents and I have already gained a basic understanding of your situation. As things stand, there are serious problems with the evidence in the case, and we have considerable room to argue for your acquittal."

Lin Feng nodded. "Thank you, Lawyer Zhou. Sorry for the trouble."

"It's my duty." Zhou Wenyuan adjusted his glasses. "However, the judicial process takes time. Given the current circumstances in particular, the police may apply for a supplementary investigation, which means your detention could be extended. You need to be prepared for that."

"I understand," Lin Feng answered readily. "I believe in the law, and I believe in you too, Lawyer Zhou."

As he said the words "believe in," the index finger of his right hand, which held the receiver, tapped three times in a regular rhythm against the cold plastic casing, the movements exceedingly slight. It was a signal they had agreed on long ago, meaning "I know, proceed according to plan, reassure them."

Zhou Wenyuan's eyes flickered slightly behind his lenses, and he gave an almost imperceptible nod to show he had received the message. He then turned to Lin Jianguo and his wife, reassuring them in a steady voice. "As you can see, Lin Feng is in better shape than we imagined, and he's very strong and rational. That's a good thing. What we need to do now is trust in the law, cooperate actively and make sure every step is taken properly."

He looked at Lin Feng again. "In there, your first priority is to protect yourself, follow the rules and avoid conflicts with others. Leave matters outside to me. I'll review the entire case file as soon as possible and look for every piece of evidence in our favor."

"All right. I will." Lin Feng's response was simple and firm.

Lin Jianguo and Zhang Fen watched the two men on either side of the glass converse with a calm that bordered on efficiency. Their son seemed less like a prisoner suffering a wrongful accusation than someone directing a strategy from his command tent... They could not quite describe the feeling, but their hearts, which had been suspended in a pot of boiling oil all this time, miraculously settled somewhat. Their son did not look as though he had suffered, and with such a capable-looking lawyer helping him, hope no longer seemed a distant mirage.

Just then, the door to the meeting room was pushed open rudely!

Officer Zhang Qian strode in, her face frosty and her uniform crisp. Her gaze swept over Lin Feng like a knife before pinning Zhou Wenyuan in place. "Lawyer Zhou, the meeting time is up," she said curtly.

Zhou Wenyuan raised his wrist and glanced at his elegant watch. His tone was bland and unruffled. "Officer Zhang, the regulations allow thirty minutes for a lawyer's meeting. If I'm not mistaken, only twenty-one minutes have passed."

"Special circumstances. It needs to end early." Zhang Qian lifted her chin slightly, her tone firm and allowing no room for discussion. "Or would you like to join me in the next office for a chat, Lawyer Zhou? About some... other circumstances concerning your client Lin Feng here in the detention center?" Her gaze swept pointedly over Lin Feng's uniform, which was noticeably too clean and tidy.

It was a naked threat and an attempt to interfere. She was trying to force Zhou Wenyuan to comply by invoking an investigation into the "special treatment" Lin Feng might have received in the detention center.

Zhou Wenyuan's expression did not change. He slowly put down the receiver and stood up. Half a head taller than Zhang Qian, he looked down at her, his gaze sharpening behind his gold-rimmed glasses. "Officer Zhang, safeguarding a client's right to meet with their lawyer in accordance with the law is expressly stipulated. I hope you can provide a reasonable explanation for the 'special circumstances' you mentioned. As for my client's situation in the detention center, as his attorney, I will of course look into it in accordance with the law. You needn't concern yourself."

His tone remained steady, but every word carried unquestionable force and a hint of mockery.

Zhang Qian was angered by his attitude, her face flushing slightly, but for the moment she could find no suitable retort. She simply repeated firmly, "The meeting must end now!"

Zhou Wenyuan stopped looking at her and turned instead to Lin Feng across the glass and to Lin Jianguo and his wife, who had risen anxiously to their feet. He raised his voice a little to make sure they could hear him. "It seems today's meeting can only end here. Please rest assured, I will fulfill my duties as a lawyer in accordance with the law and protect my client's lawful rights and interests. I will put on record any violation of procedure or obstruction of the defense."

He made a point of glancing at Zhang Qian, then nodded to Lin Feng.

Lin Feng put down the phone as well and gave the furious Zhang Qian a long look. His gaze remained calm, without even a trace of anger, as though he were looking at an insignificant jumping clown. Yet that extreme calm made Zhang Qian feel insulted and slighted, and anger flared in her heart.

The meeting was forcibly terminated. Officer Wang came in and motioned for Lin Feng to leave.

Lin Feng took one last look at his anxious parents across the glass and silently mouthed, "Don't worry." Then he turned and calmly followed the officer out.

Lin Jianguo and Zhang Fen watched their son's retreating figure disappear, and their hearts tightened again. Zhang Fen could not help sobbing once more. Lin Jianguo supported his wife and looked at the livid Zhang Qian and the cold-faced Zhou Wenyuan. His heart was full of worry, but a spark of resolute anger also ignited within him-the policewoman was clearly targeting their son!

Within the high walls, the brief meeting was like a pebble dropped into a deep pool, stirring ripples that soon subsided. But beneath the surface, the undercurrents surged more fiercely because of this clash.