Chapter Summaries

Lin Feng learned that his trial had been set for three days and tried to understand why Zhang Qian had suddenly accelerated the case. Unaware of the public-opinion storm outside, he trusted his evidence and lawyer to secure his release as the storm closed in.

• Wang Lei told Lin Feng that the court had scheduled his trial in three days.
• Lin Feng contacted deathsworn watching Zhang Qian and learned she had privately met Sun Tingting, who went home afterward and remained inside.
• Lin Feng could not determine why Zhang Qian had expedited the trial and did not know about the public-opinion storm outside.
• Lin Feng told Wang Lei to keep things running as usual and prepared to face trial, confident in Zhou Wenyuan and his evidence.

Zhang Qian reassured Sun Tingting about the upcoming trial and disclosed her close relationship with the judge, believing she had secured Tingting’s cooperation. After the call, Sun Tingting revealed that she had recorded the conversation and planned to keep it as leverage.

• Zhang Qian called Sun Tingting the victim and dismissed online criticism as a tactic by Lin Feng’s family.
• Sun Tingting voiced doubts about their plan, and Zhang Qian promised the judge was her close friend and would handle the case impartially.
• Zhang Qian instructed Sun Tingting to appear frightened and wronged at trial while remaining firm.
• After ending the call, Sun Tingting stopped her recording and saved the conversation, including Zhang Qian’s remarks about the judge.
• Sun Tingting considered using the recording against Zhang Qian if she failed to help her win.

Lin Feng’s criminal trial began, and he denied assaulting Sun Tingting while explaining that he had written the letter of repentance under pressure from Teacher Li Jing. Presiding Judge He Jing cut off his explanation and rejected Zhou Wenyuan’s objection, leaving the defense facing a hostile courtroom.

• Presiding Judge He Jing opened the trial and ordered Lin Feng to stand for identity verification.
• Prosecutor Chen Ming read the indictment, accusing Lin Feng of forcibly indecent acts against Sun Tingting.
• Lin Feng denied the charge and said Teacher Li Jing had urged him to write the letter of repentance to resolve the matter.
• Chen Ming questioned Lin Feng about the letter, and Lin Feng began explaining the circumstances in which he wrote it.
• Presiding Judge He Jing interrupted Lin Feng and rejected Zhou Wenyuan’s objection to the restriction on his testimony.
• Lin Feng answered “No” when asked whether he acknowledged the letter’s contents.

Lin Feng and Zhou Wenyuan faced a trial in which Presiding Judge He repeatedly favored the prosecution, obstructed the defense, and treated Lin Feng as guilty. After Lin Feng accused her of having already decided the verdict, she ordered the bailiffs to take him away and adjourned the court for ten minutes.

• Lin Feng rejected Zhou Wenyuan's suggestion to submit the secret recording, deciding it was too easy to challenge and would likely be excluded.
• Sun Tingting gave an emotional account of the alleged assault, but her answers faltered under Zhou Wenyuan's questions about why she had not called for help and how the matter was handled.
• Li Jing testified that she had advised Lin Feng to write a confession, claiming she had hoped to settle the matter quietly and that Lin Feng had agreed himself.
• Presiding Judge He interrupted Zhou Wenyuan's attempt to seek voiceprint analysis of the recording and refused to consider the application.
• Presiding Judge He questioned Lin Feng as though he were guilty, and Lin Feng accused her of having already decided the verdict; she angrily ordered the bailiffs to take him away and adjourned the trial.

Lin Feng was sentenced to three years for forcible molestation after Presiding Judge He delivered a verdict Zhou Wenyuan recognized as unjust. In detention, Lin Feng learned how Zhang Qian and others had used online outrage to influence the case and decided to stop playing by their rules.

• Presiding Judge He resumed the trial, heard the closing statements, and sentenced Lin Feng to three years in prison.
• Zhang Fen fainted at the verdict while Zhang Qian secretly celebrated, and Lin Feng remained calm.
• Lin Feng told Zhou Wenyuan through their consciousness link to appeal and investigate Presiding Judge He and Zhang Qian.
• At the detention center, Zhou Wenyuan reported the online accusations, official commentary, and harassment of Lin Feng's parents.
• Lin Feng concluded that his opponents had manipulated public opinion and the court, and resolved to set the rules himself.

After Lin Feng was sentenced to three years, Sun Tingting celebrated the verdict online and enjoyed the surge of support, while a few doubters were drowned out by the internet’s backlash. Lin Feng learned of the online carnival in prison and calmly vowed to repay everyone when the truth came out.

• Sun Tingting celebrated the verdict with Zhang Qian and her supporters, then recorded videos presenting Lin Feng’s three-year sentence as justice served.
• Sun Tingting posted her videos, prompting a wave of congratulations, denunciations of Lin Feng, and viral coverage across social platforms.
• Anonymous forum users questioned the evidence and sentence, but hostile commenters attacked and silenced them.
• Sun Tingting watched her popularity rise and imagined becoming an internet celebrity, convinced Zhang Qian had helped her succeed.
• Lin Feng learned about the online reaction through Zhou Wenyuan and silently promised that those celebrating would pay when the time came.

After Lin Feng secretly arranged for an audio recording exposing Sun Tingting’s false accusation to be released, public opinion turned against her and she was flooded with online abuse. Lin Feng watched the reversal from detention, observing that the public cared more about dramatic twists than the truth, as he prepared for the story to continue.

• An anonymous account uploaded a dorm recording in which Sun Tingting admitted to framing Lin Feng to secure a graduate recommendation and exploiting the counselor’s fear of trouble.
• A popular legal-education blogger shared the recording with a warning that its authenticity was uncertain, and it spread rapidly online.
• The audio platform removed the recording over privacy complaints, prompting netizens to accuse it of covering up the truth and target Sun Tingting’s social media accounts.
• Lin Feng learned through Zhou Wenyuan that public opinion had reversed and Sun Tingting had become a target of widespread abuse.
• Lin Feng reflected that online crowds followed dramatic reversals rather than truth, and concluded that Sun Tingting was only the first sacrifice.

Sun Tingting discovered that her confession had spread online and, after Zhang Qian abandoned her, used recordings of Zhang Qian to force her into helping contain the scandal. Lin Feng listened from prison and reflected on Sun Tingting’s resourcefulness.

• Wang Meng showed Sun Tingting a viral video containing Sun Tingting’s recorded confession, and Sun Tingting accused Wang Meng of secretly recording her.
• Wang Meng left after Sun Tingting threw a pillow at her, and Sun Tingting found that Zhang Qian had blocked her number.
• Sun Tingting called Zhang Qian from Wang Meng’s phone, played recordings exposing Zhang Qian’s involvement, and threatened to reveal her misconduct.
• Zhang Qian proposed that Sun Tingting blame the audio on AI fabrication and promised to use her connections to steer public opinion.
• Lin Feng listened to the exchange through a hidden listening device and admired Sun Tingting’s ability to turn the situation around.

Sun Tingting tried to discredit the leaked recording as an AI fabrication, but hacker K released three recordings exposing her conspiracy with Zhang Qian and their plan to manipulate the trial. Public outrage surged toward the authorities while Lin Feng watched calmly from detention and kept the evidence source protected.

• Sun Tingting posted a tearful video claiming the recording was fabricated by AI, while paid commenters and small-time science bloggers backed her story.
• Less than two hours later, K released three recordings that exposed Zhang Qian coaching Sun Tingting to make a false accusation, boasting of her connection to the judge, and yielding to Sun Tingting's threats.
• Netizens turned against Sun Tingting and Zhang Qian, and calls to investigate the officer, the judge, and the wrongful conviction spread across social media.
• Zhou Wenyuan told Lin Feng that public pressure had reached the authorities, and Lin Feng ordered him to protect the evidence's source and let the uproar continue.

After the anonymous account released recordings exposing Sun Tingting and Zhang Qian’s schemes, Sun fled the dorm in fear while Zhang Qian faced the collapse of her career and support. Zhang Qian shut off her phone and was left alone with the consequences.

• Sun Tingting heard the three recordings exposing her deals and threats with Zhang Qian, then discovered Zhang Qian had cut off contact with her.
• Fearing that someone had been secretly recording her, Sun packed a few belongings, disguised herself, and left the dorm for home by taxi.
• Zhang Qian’s uncle told her that the recordings might be difficult to use as direct evidence in court but that her conduct would bring severe disciplinary consequences.
• Zhang Qian learned that her career prospects were effectively over and that her uncle would also suffer professional repercussions.
• Overwhelmed by calls and messages, Zhang Qian powered off her phone and sat in silence.

Lin Feng faced Zhang Qian in another interrogation, where she blamed him for the recordings that had destroyed her career. He finally erupted over his wrongful treatment and said all he had ever wanted was fairness.

• Zhang Qian confronted Lin Feng about the recordings exposed online and accused him of ruining her career.
• Lin Feng denied knowing what she meant and calmly told Zhang Qian they would never see each other again.
• Zhang Qian lost her temper, berated Lin Feng, and demanded to know what he wanted.
• Lin Feng slammed his cuffed hands on the table and shouted that he wanted fairness, condemning Zhang Qian for ignoring his claims and allowing him to be falsely accused.
• Lin Feng slumped back in his chair and quietly repeated that all he wanted was fairness.

A special investigation team uncovered video proving that Lin Feng never touched or harassed Sun Tingting, while an investigation raised serious suspicions about Presiding Judge He. The court overturned the original judgment and scheduled a second-instance hearing for seven days later.

• A new special investigation team reexamined the case and questioned people who had been near the library.
• An officer found a first-year student’s cached WeChat video call and preserved the footage for analysis.
• Technical experts enhanced the video, which showed Lin Feng focused on a bookshelf while Sun Tingting remained at least twenty to thirty centimeters away.
• Investigators suspended Presiding Judge He and placed him under investigation after uncovering leads of possible disciplinary violations.
• The procuratorate filed an urgent retrial application, and the municipal intermediate people's court overturned the original judgment and scheduled a second-instance hearing for seven days later.

Lin Feng was acquitted at his appeal hearing after new video evidence undermined the original case, and he was released from detention. Reunited with his parents, he left for home while worrying about others who might not have the resources to overcome wrongful accusations.

• The prosecutor presented new evidence, and Zhou Wenyuan argued that Lin Feng had been framed and that those responsible should be held accountable.
• The court revoked Lin Feng’s original conviction and declared him not guilty.
• Lin Feng completed his release paperwork, collected his belongings, and left the detention center.
• Zhang Fen embraced Lin Feng in tears, and Lin Jianguo welcomed him home with quiet relief.
• Lin Feng reflected on how many people without his resources might remain trapped by injustice, then walked home with his parents.

After seeing his parents return home, Lin Feng rejected the idea of returning to university and met with Zhou Wenyuan to plan his next steps. He ordered Zhou to establish safe funding and a new identity, investigate those involved in his wrongful case, and prepare a team for special affairs.

• Lin Feng persuaded Zhang Fen and Lin Jianguo to return home, then saw them off at the train station.
• Lin Feng decided not to return to university, citing the administration’s silence and his loss of trust in the people around him.
• Zhou Wenyuan gave Lin Feng five hundred thousand in cash and proposed setting up an offshore foundation or investment company to move funds safely.
• Lin Feng told Zhou Wenyuan to arrange a new identity, investigate Zhang Qian and Presiding Judge He, locate Sun Tingting and Li Jing, and plan a team for special affairs.
• Lin Feng left the teahouse resolved to pursue his own path and never return to the university.

After Lin Feng was declared not guilty, Sun Tingting provoked him online by boasting about her academic and legal achievements and threatening to obstruct his future. Lin Feng chose not to respond immediately, instead ordering Zhou Wenyuan to investigate every questionable detail about her and her family before making a decisive move.

• The authorities announced that Lin Feng's conviction had been overturned and declared him not guilty, but said nothing about consequences for Sun Tingting, Zhang Qian, or Judge He.
• Sun Tingting posted a note celebrating her graduate recommendation and legal qualification while threatening to send damaging materials about Lin Feng to schools and authorities.
• Netizens shared Sun Tingting's post widely, condemning her arrogance and demanding investigations, while others doubted that her statements could be punished under the law.
• Lin Feng watched the online uproar from an internet cafe as Zhou Wenyuan offered to respond or begin legal proceedings against Sun Tingting.
• Lin Feng decided not to use the law or answer her provocation yet, and instructed Zhou Wenyuan to investigate Sun Tingting, her family, her graduate recommendation, and her legal qualification.

Lin Feng described three kinds of death to Zhou Wenyuan, hinting at a judgment aimed at his enemies, then left without explaining further. That night, Sun Tingting remained confident she would escape the online backlash while a shadowy figure watched her family’s apartment from the rain.

• Lin Feng told Zhou Wenyuan that death could be physiological, social, or an ultimate erasure from all records and memories.
• Lin Feng left the café, and Zhou Wenyuan suspected the storm surrounding Lin Feng had shifted into a more dangerous form.
• At home, Sun Tingting watched a drama with her parents and believed the public would soon forget the scandal.
• A figure in a raincoat silently watched Sun Tingting’s warmly lit apartment from the landscaping below.

Patient kidnapped Sun Tingting and her parents from their home on Lin Feng’s orders, then transported Sun Tingting away in a box. The next morning, a badly disfigured woman’s body was found outside the women’s dormitory at the normal university, and police began investigating her identity.

• Patient entered Sun Tingting’s home during the storm and knocked her parents unconscious before finding and electrocuting Sun Tingting beneath her bed.
• Patient reported to Lin Feng that he had secured the target, and Lin Feng told him to proceed according to plan.
• Patient gagged Sun Tingting and her parents with light bulbs, bound her parents, and carried Sun Tingting away in a delivery box.
• A student discovered a badly disfigured woman’s body outside the women’s dormitory at the normal university the next morning.
• Police examined the unidentified body and took it to the forensic center while checking missing-person reports.

After being suspended, Zhang Qian lost control of her temper while waiting for a ride outside the bureau and was struck by a heavy truck. Police arrested the eerily calm, alcohol-drinking driver as Zhang Qian lay unconscious and badly injured.

• Zhang Qian left the bureau carrying her belongings after her suspension was announced.
• Zhang Qian threatened her ride-hailing driver over the pickup delay and repeatedly demanded that he arrive before her deadline.
• A heavy truck veered toward Zhang Qian and hit her, leaving her unconscious and bleeding on the road.
• Police officers rushed out, treated Zhang Qian, secured the scene, and surrounded the truck.
• Officers found the middle-aged driver drinking baijiu in the cab, and he calmly drained the bottle before they arrested him.

Veteran detective Wang Yong and his apprentice Li Zhen interrogated Feng Jianguo, who had deliberately driven into Zhang Qian and claimed he did it for fairness. Feng exposed Li Zhen’s leading question as a procedural flaw, then said he could not wait long enough for the case to reach its final review.

• Wang Yong and Li Zhen questioned Feng Jianguo about his identity and background, and he answered calmly.
• Wang Yong asked Feng why he had hit Zhang Qian, and Feng said he had probably done it for fairness.
• Li Zhen angrily accused Feng of being put up to the attack, and Wang Yong stopped him and resumed the questioning.
• Feng pointed out that Li Zhen’s question was leading and could create a legal problem if the case went to final review.
• Feng told Li Zhen he was lucky because Feng could not wait that long, leaving Wang Yong and Li Zhen stunned.

Feng Jianguo told Wang Yong and Li Zhen that he had terminal stomach cancer and wanted his death to leave a mark. He confessed to killing Sun Tingting and revealed that he had taken her from her home to the University of Technology campus to make her fulfill her public vow to jump from a dormitory building.

• Feng Jianguo said doctors had given him at most a month to live and explained how alcohol had cost him his job and family.
• Feng Jianguo described his ordinary life and said he had decided not to die without making an impact after reading posts about Sun Tingting's case.
• Feng Jianguo confessed that he had investigated the case himself and killed Sun Tingting, shocking Li Zhen and Wang Yong.
• Feng Jianguo said he had taken Sun Tingting from her home the previous night and tied up and gagged her parents.
• Feng Jianguo explained that he brought Sun Tingting to the campus because she had vowed to jump from a dormitory building if she was lying, and said he made her do so.