The Aftermath Settles
Things unfolded exactly as Lin Feng had predicted, even more "smoothly" than he had envisioned.
Lü Yi's sudden and extreme violence within the police station acted like a powerful remedy, instantly clarifying what could have been a complicated situation.
Sun Qiang, the bald, burly man, was rushed to the hospital. The initial diagnosis was: multiple soft tissue contusions on the face, a linear fracture of the nasal bone, two missing front teeth, three loose teeth, and a mild concussion. The final injury assessment will take time, but it is highly likely to be classified as "minor injury." However, these details were no longer important to Lin Feng.
Lü Yi was sent directly to the designated forensic psychiatric evaluation center, and then transferred to the Municipal Mental Health Center for a mandatory mental health evaluation. The core question was: whether he was in a state of psychotic episode when he committed the violent act, and whether he had lost the ability to recognize or control his own behavior.
The answer to this question was already obvious in his manic behavior in the mediation room and the eerie laughter he let out when he was subdued.
The so-called assessment is more of a necessary legal procedure. The final outcome is almost predictable— Lü Yi will be deemed not to have full criminal responsibility at the time of the incident and will subsequently be transferred to a mental hospital for compulsory medical treatment.
As for the duration of compulsory medical treatment, that depends on Dean Du Mingyuan's "professional assessment." This, in turn, becomes a form of indirect protection for Lü Yi and completely eliminates Sun Qiang's hopes of demanding huge compensation—you can't expect a mentally ill patient who is under compulsory medical treatment and has no money to pay civil compensation.
As for Lin Feng himself, his position in the whole incident is crystal clear.
The elevator surveillance footage fully recorded that his conflict with that family was limited to verbal exchanges, and that he had already left before Lü Yi took action. The police station's record also fully corroborated this.
From beginning to end, he was like an innocent bystander caught up in the situation, or even a "victim" on another level (being harassed and insulted).
Therefore, after a brief statement was taken, Officer Li, who was in charge of the matter, indicated that he could leave, his attitude even carrying a hint of barely perceptible sympathy—anyone would have a headache dealing with a "friend" or "acquaintance" like Lü Yi.
As Lin Feng stepped out of the police station, it was just past 10 a. m. The early summer sun was a bit dazzling, so he squinted and hailed a taxi.
"Go to Jinmao Building, Junyue Law Firm."
He decided to return to the law firm. Today was his first day, and the morning had been delayed because of this farce; many necessary onboarding procedures hadn't been completed yet. He wasn't one to procrastinate.
Back on the floor where the law firm was located, the receptionist's eyes flashed with surprise when she saw him return, but her professionalism quickly restored her standard smile. The office area remained quiet, with only the sound of keyboards and the occasional hushed voice on a phone. Lin Feng went straight to Lawyer Zhou's office and gently knocked on the door.
"Please come in."
Lin Feng pushed open the door and entered. Zhou Wenyuan was bent over his desk reviewing a thick file. Hearing the noise, he looked up, saw that it was Lin Feng, and a knowing look appeared on his face. He didn't seem surprised by Lin Feng's early return.
"Finished?" Zhou Wenyuan put down his pen and leaned back in his chair.
"Yes, it's nothing serious. Lü Yi was sent for testing, and I came out after giving my statement."
Zhou Wenyuan nodded, not pressing for details; he trusted Lin Feng's ability to handle things. He glanced at his watch and smiled, "Perfect timing, it's lunchtime. I brought lunch, want to grab some? My wife's a pretty good cook."
Lin Feng did not refuse. He walked to the sofa in the corner of the office and sat down, while Zhou Wenyuan took out a heavy, multi-layered insulated lunch box from the portable mini-fridge by the wall.
The aroma of home-cooked food instantly filled the office as the lunchbox was opened. The top layer was white rice, the middle layer was braised pork ribs with a bright red color and stir-fried broccoli with a vibrant green color, and the bottom layer was tomato and egg soup. There were also some small pickled vegetables thoughtfully placed in separate compartments. The food was still warm, showing that it had been carefully prepared that morning.
"Your aunt insisted on bringing me something nice, saying it's my first day mentoring a newcomer and I can't be too stingy," Zhou Wenyuan said gently as he served Lin Feng, a faint smile in his eyes. This simple gesture and these words revealed the harmony and warmth of his family life, adding a touch of humanity and warmth to this usually meticulous and composed top lawyer.
The two ate lunch quietly at the coffee table in the office. Zhou Wenyuan didn't have the habit of not talking while eating, so he didn't eat much, spending most of his time taking care of Lin Feng. During the meal, he casually introduced Lin Feng to some basic information about the law firm.
"Junyue primarily handles criminal cases. Although we also take on civil and non-litigation cases, our foundation and reputation lie in criminal cases. Several senior partners are experts in this field."
Zhou Wenyuan picked up a piece of broccoli. "So here, you'll encounter a lot... well, the darker side of society, all sorts of people involved, it's more exciting than anything you see on TV."
He paused, as if remembering something, his tone carrying a hint of reminiscence and teasing:
"I remember taking on a case two years ago. The client was a 'boss' who was involved in a pyramid scheme. Even after being arrested, he firmly believed that he was 'leading his family to get rich together.' During the trial, he talked endlessly to the judge about his 'five-level, three-tier system,' which amused the bailiffs."
And last year, there was this habitual thief who specialized in stealing from upscale residential areas. His only way of selling the stolen goods was through a scrap metal recycling station near the entrance of the complex, selling them by weight... Wouldn't it be so much better if he used his brains for good?
Zhou Wenyuan recounted the bizarre cases he had handled in the past in a relaxed tone, without revealing any specific secrets. It was more like he was giving Lin Feng a subtle industry introduction, preparing him mentally for the environment he was about to face. Lin Feng listened quietly, nodding occasionally and silently taking notes.
After lunch and a short rest, it was time to start work in the afternoon.
Zhou Wenyuan used the internal phone to call a specialist from the human resources department. She was a young woman wearing black-rimmed Glasses and looking meticulous.
"Xiao Zhang, this is Lin Feng, my new assistant. Take him to complete his onboarding procedures," Zhou Wenyuan instructed.
"Okay, Lawyer Zhou," Xiao Zhang replied respectfully, then gestured for Lin Feng to proceed.
The onboarding process was indeed not complicated, mainly completed on the HR department's computer system. It involved filling out personal information, signing an employment contract, obtaining an access card and internal system account, etc. Throughout the entire process, the specialist, Xiao Zhang, was very professional and efficient.
When she saw Lin Feng fill in "highest education level" in the "highest education level" column while entering the educational information, her fingers holding the mouse paused visibly, and a hint of undisguised surprise flashed across her face.
She subconsciously glanced up at Lin Feng, as if trying to confirm something, but upon meeting Lin Feng's calm and unwavering gaze, she immediately realized her lapse in composure, quickly lowered her head, and finished the data entry without asking a single question.
Even if the "nepotism" that Lawyer Zhou personally requested to be brought in only has an elementary school education, it's not something a lowly HR person like her can interfere with.
After completing all the formalities, Lin Feng, holding his newly received access card and a note with the internal account number written on it, walked out of the small conference room (temporary processing point) and prepared to return to Lawyer Zhou's office.
As he walked through the open office area again, a slightly shrill voice rang out, carrying an undisguised air of command:
Hey! You new guy!
Lin Feng stopped and slowly turned around. The person who called him was none other than the portly lawyer, Lawyer Chen, whom he had met briefly that morning. He was still sitting at his desk, his rather large belly protruding, glancing sideways at Lin Feng.
"Go to that ' Blue Bay ' coffee shop downstairs and buy me a latte, a large one." Lawyer Chen gestured with his chin towards the elevator, his tone matter-of-fact. "You pay for it now, I'll give it to you later."
He seemed to be trying to establish his "senior" status in front of newcomers through this method, or perhaps he simply wanted to find someone to run errands for free.
Lin Feng glanced at him, his eyes devoid of any emotion—neither anger nor flattery—as if he were looking at an insignificant decoration. He said nothing, not even a perfunctory "hmm" or "okay," and turned back to continue walking towards Lawyer Zhou's office without pausing for a moment.
Lawyer Chen's expression froze instantly. He clearly hadn't expected this seemingly ordinary newcomer, whose academic qualifications were even questionable, to dare to ignore him like this.
Watching Lin Feng's departing Back View, he felt as if he had been slapped silently in public, his face burning. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to save face, but found that the other person had already gone far away, leaving him only with a cold back of his head.
He shut his mouth reluctantly, sitting in the chair with an uncertain expression, feeling as if several faint gazes were watching him, making him extremely uncomfortable.