Zhu Qingyun was still defending herself. Behind her, the other defendants suddenly felt like she had spoken to their hearts and began to chi in agreent.
"Yes, we didn’t an to target them on purpose."
"When we talk normally, we use so curse words. It’s no big deal; it’s quite normal."
"I just cursed casually, and other people liked it. Does that count against too?"
"If this kind of thing happened to , I’d probably just turn a blind eye. It’s just an online argunt..."
"..."
Inside the law firm, over a hundred people were talking at once, venting their dissatisfaction. Many of the comnts made opened Zhang Wei’s eyes once again.
He paused his recording pen and took a deep look at everyone.
He said seriously, "These comnts vary in severity. You might think they are just harmless words that won’t cost you a slice of flesh. But for the victim, they amount to thousands, countless comnts of vicious language. You see it as an individual act, but posted online, it becos an overwhelming stream of accusations, defamation, and criticism. Humans are social animals; it’s impossible not to care about others’ opinions. Faced with endless criticism, what do you think the other person would feel? In an avalanche, no single snowflake is innocent—this saying is absolutely true. Each of your actions is a snowflake. It may not cause any issue when it falls normally; just as you say, it doesn’t hurt. But gathered together, a sky full of snowflakes can drown and swallow anyone!"
Zhang Wei’s words rang out clear and strong.
Many people lowered their heads, his speech having made them think. Of course, there were still those who held their heads high, unconvinced, thinking he was exaggerating.
"To be frank with you, this ti the plaintiff has sued three thousand two hundred people, involving various online platforms." Zhang Wei paused for a mont, then continued, "I’m only representing a portion of the defendants. And you all... you’re just the most visible ones online, eting the criteria for conviction. At most, you’re considered slightly larger snowflakes. But there are countless, truly innurable smaller snowflakes participating in the slander alongside you!"
After his speech, the entire law firm beca deathly quiet. Everyone’s expression was different; Zhang Wei’s words had left them unsure what to think. After a few minutes of silence, Zhang Wei sighed softly and shook his head.
"Next."
「At Linghe Law Firm.」
Ling He was also busily organizing the case, preparing for the upcoming trial. At this mont, he was extrely excited. He had snagged over four hundred "clients" this ti! After this lawsuit, that would an an inco of over four million! In the past, he couldn’t even dream of making four to five million from a single case. This could even allow him to buy a small villa in the suburbs of Jin City!
But just as he finished preparing a batch of litigation materials for one group and was ready to rest, he happened to see the content in a group chat he had created. It contained over four hundred people, all defendants in this defamation case.
"@Lawyer Ling, you said during the day that as long as the other party withdraws the lawsuit, we won’t have to go to court, right?"
"@Lawyer Ling, I saw in the video that the victim seems to live in a nursing ho. Should we take so ti to go talk to them?"
"How about each of us gives a bit more money? They just want compensation, right? We can see if we can settle this privately."
"What if the other side doesn’t know what’s good for them?"
"Find out, do they have any family mbers?"
"..."
Seeing this series of ssages in the group chat, Ling He’s heart skipped a beat, and a shiver ran down his spine. All signs of exhaustion vanished from his face. He quickly sent a ssage: "Private settlents with the plaintiff are fine, but do not resort to violence or make trouble!"
He sent the sa sentence three tis in a row, then took a screenshot and saved it in his phone’s photo gallery to avoid implicating himself.
This type of case had too many defendants. He couldn’t guarantee that every one of them was a good person and feared being implicated himself. As a criminal defense lawyer, he was very clear on what he should and shouldn’t do. Sotis, even a casual remark in a group chat could lead to him being accused of inciting a cri, so he made sure to dissociate himself.
At the sa ti, for safety, he renad the group chat to "Law-Abiding Legal Defense Group." He also changed the group notice to "Actively engage with the lawsuit; resolutely refrain from illegal or undisciplined actions." After doing all this, his anxious heart could finally relax, just a little.
「Jin City.」
Inside the nursing ho, Zhang Qingyuan and Li Weiguo hurried over to Qin Mu, their faces alight with excitent. "Xiao Qin, soone has co to give you money again!"
In the past few days, they had witnessed firsthand what it ant to "sit at ho and have money fall from the sky." Every few days, soone would visit the nursing ho, specifically asking for Qin Mu. After eting, they would discuss settling the matter privately. The offered prices varied: so offered twenty thousand, others thirty thousand, and one even outrageously offered two hundred thousand! To the unaware, it would seem as if Qin Mu were the underground Emperor of Jin City.
The corner of Qin Mu’s mouth twitched; he felt utterly helpless. He hadn’t taken a single cent of these people’s money. Defamation is a private prosecution offense. If he reached a private settlent, their criminal charges would be directly dropped! The conviction for this offense hinged on his personal decision.
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