"Hello Lawyer Chang, my name is Zhang Lin, I’m a police officer from Jinling Road Police Station. Mr. Gu Bai has incited his bodyguards to assault Mr. Li Zhonggui, which already constitutes a charge of provoking trouble."
Before Zhang Lin could finish, a lawyer standing behind Chang Yanfu stepped forward with a laptop in his arms.
"This is the video footage provided by the public at the scene. Li Zhonggui was assaulting this elderly man at the time. My client merely acted as a righteous and law-abiding citizen, using normal means to stop Li Zhonggui’s violent actions. According to Article 184 of the Huamin Civil Code, what my client did can entirely be defined as an act of bravery for a just cause."
This video was meticulously copied from bystanders’ phones by Qi Manxin at the time, and Gu Bai had previously sent it to Xing Na.
"But Li Zhonggui has been diagnosed with a concussion."
Hearing this, Li Zhonggui quickly stood up, "That’s right, this is a certificate issued by a forensic doctor! Even if it was an act of bravery for a just cause, it was excessive self-defense!"
It seemed Li Zhonggui understood a bit about the law.
Chang Yanfu glanced at Li Zhonggui, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.
"The extent of excessive self-defense is not determined by you, but by the law."
With that, Chang Yanfu took over the laptop and fast-forwarded the video to the middle portion.
"As everyone can see, the assailant Li Zhonggui continued his violent behavior even after pushing down this elderly man, going so far as to kick the man once more. This is an elderly man over 70 years old. How could he possibly endure such violence from an adult? We have reason to believe that if my client hadn’t stepped in to stop it, the elderly man would most likely have continued to suffer abuse from the assailant. As for the consequences, we cannot be sure." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝔫𝔢𝔱
"Who said I would continue to hit him? I was merely driving him out of my store."
Chang Yanfu shook his head.
"Whether you would have continued the violence isn’t determined by your word alone. According to Article 292 of the Criminal Law regarding intentional injury, I suggest that Jinling Road Police Station file a public prosecution against the assailant, and I will voluntarily serve as the lawyer for this elderly man."
Upon hearing the term ’intentional injury,’ Li Zhonggui was instantly intimidated, knowing that being convicted of this offense would mean jail time.
"This is utter nonsense! Malicious defamation! My wife is also a lawyer, and I won’t say anything more. I’ll let my wife talk to you instead."
With that, he imitated Gu Bai, sitting silently to the side.
"Officer Zhang, before charges are defined, our law firm will continue to monitor this case. Next, we will follow the normal procedure to bail my client out.
You can prosecute my client according to procedure; we will be present on the day of the trial."
"Certainly, of course."
After speaking, Chang Yanfu left a lawyer to handle the bail process and prepared to leave with Gu Bai.
"Officer Zhang! You can’t let this criminal leave!"
Seeing Gu Bai about to leave, Li Zhonggui, sitting to the side, was in a panic.
Upon hearing Li Zhonggui’s words, Chang Yanfu walked up to him with a stern expression and said, "Mr. Li, please mind your words. If you continue to slander my client, I will sue you for defamation on his behalf!"
Just as Li Zhonggui was about to say something else, a woman walked in through the door.
"Wife, you’re here. Quickly tell them, it was definitely him who injured me!"
Seeing the newcomer, Li Zhonggui rushed over to her, complaining like a wronged child.
But his wife didn’t even look at him, heading straight toward Chang Yanfu, "Chief Chang, I didn’t expect to see you here."
Chang Yanfu was somewhat surprised upon seeing her, nodding faintly in acknowledgment, "Lawyer Ai, I assume this Mr. Li is your husband? What a coincidence, President Gu, who had a dispute with your husband, is my client. After the court hearing, you and I will be opponents."
Chang Yanfu didn’t seem to take Lawyer Ai seriously, considering she was just a newly interned lawyer who recently entered their law firm and technically was still his subordinate.
Without intending to continue the casual conversation, Chang Yanfu walked over to Gu Bai, ready to leave.
Suddenly, Gu Bai, halfway through his walk, flashed a smile at the resentful Li Zhonggui, "Did you initially think that if anything did happen, spending some money could solve it?
The fun part is, I’m not short of money either.
Not only am I not short of money, but I have more than I can use, giving us plenty of opportunities to play."
Smiling, Gu Bai looked every bit the villain.
As soon as he finished speaking, a young policeman immediately cheered.
No one present held any respect for someone like Li Zhonggui.
It’s often said that ordinary people hold resentment for the wealthy, but in reality, most disdain is for those with wealth who act without principles.
Zhang Lin turned his head and glared at the cheering young policeman, who immediately lowered his head and went back to his tasks.
Gu Bai then cast a friendly smile at him.
"Why aren’t you stopping them?!"
Seeing Gu Bai and the others leaving, Li Zhonggui instantly vented his anger on his wife.
His wife sternly rebuked him.
"Do you even know who that lawyer just was? He’s the chief attorney in charge of civil and criminal cases at our law firm! Each lawsuit costs upwards of 300,000, and not just anyone gets to hire him! So do you understand just who you’ve offended?"
Upon hearing what his wife said, a greatly self-conscious Li Zhonggui fell silent, realizing the gravity of the situation. By nature, he’s someone who bullies the weak but fears the strong. Earlier, knowing Gu Bai’s identity might not be simple, he didn’t dare utter a word. It wasn’t until his wife arrived that he found some backbone, but now, realizing that not even his wife could confront them, he started to falter once again.
Seeing his demeanor, his wife knew exactly what he was thinking, and she sighed in disappointment before turning to discuss matters with Zhang Lin.
After everything was settled, Li Zhonggui’s wife walked up to him with an expressionless face and said, "No matter how this is resolved, let’s find a time to finalize our divorce."
She had completely lost hope in her husband.
His usual demeanor of acting like a nouveau riche was one thing, but bullying such an elderly man, how could he bring himself to do that?
Upon hearing his wife wanting a divorce, Li Zhonggui panicked and hurriedly started admitting his faults. However, his wife didn’t even give him a second glance, turning away and stepping out in her high heels.
Watching the stunned Li Zhonggui, a young policeman couldn’t help but mockingly remark, "This is what it means when they say every action has consequences. Did you really think this is ancient times? Having wealth allows you to live with some distinction, but it doesn’t mean you can do as you please!"
At this moment, Li Zhonggui was completely oblivious to the policeman’s taunts.
He was filled with regret and fear.
Terrified Gu Bai might not let it go, even more so of the prison sentence Chang Yanfu mentioned before leaving.
However, right now, Gu Bai couldn’t care less about his thoughts, seeing him as just a minor character. In the eyes of ordinary people, he might be considered a wealthy man, but in Gu Bai’s eyes, he was insignificant.
Currently, neither Gu Bai’s wealth nor social status could be matched by him.