This was not all.
During their local travels, the hotels they stayed in were all dilapidated hos of local residents, completely different from the boutique hostays advertised by the tour group. The most infuriating part was that today, he and Feng Cuihua were with the tour group, enjoying the foreign scenery, when they suddenly encountered a foreigner. The foreigner was carrying a notebook and, claiming it was for a souvenir, asked for their signatures. It was written in English, which he couldn’t understand at all. Seeing that the other elderly people in the group were signing, he didn’t think much of it and signed as well.
As a result, that signature turned out to be for a voluntary donation pledge! Anyone who signed was required to make a donation equivalent to 20,000 yuan!
"They said since our nas were already signed, if we didn’t donate, they would sue us."
"Others in the group resigned themselves to their bad luck and reluctantly paid the money. But the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Why should I donate just because they say so?"
Over the phone, Zhang Qingyuan continued through gritted teeth, "I just didn’t pay, and then they sued . The court here scheduled a hearing, saying it would take place five days later."
As he spoke, he started to sigh heavily. Caught in this predicant, he was already at his wit’s end and could only call Qin Mu to ask for advice on how to handle it.
「In the courtyard.」
After Zhang Qingyuan finished speaking, Qin Mu still hadn’t said a word. Li Weiguo and the others widened their eyes, their faces etched with shock.
"Old Zhang said... he’s been scamd abroad?"
"But Xiao Qin is a dostic lawyer. How can he handle Old Zhang’s overseas case?"
"Xiao Qin doesn’t understand foreign law either. Why don’t you find a more reliable lawyer abroad, Old Zhang?"
"This tour group is so corrupt, truly awful. Good thing I didn’t go on any trips."
Everyone looked at each other, then all eyes turned to Qin Mu.
They deeply sympathized with Zhang Qingyuan’s plight, but not one of them suggested that Old Zhang should just resign himself to paying. After spending so much ti with Qin Mu, their attitudes had beco increasingly clear: one could donate voluntarily, but no one could be forced to donate!
However, this case was trickier than any they had encountered before.
"Xiao Qin, what... what do you think we should do about this case?" Zhang Qingyuan’s anxious and uneasy voice continued from the old-style cell phone.
Clearly, he also believed that Qin Mu might not be able to help this ti.
Qin Mu held the phone, his brow furrowing unconsciously as he listened to Old Zhang’s ordeal.
In fact, scams involving unscrupulous tour guides and travel companies were not uncommon dostically. They were most rampant in earlier years; there were even cases where people were lured out of the country for organ harvesting. Later, tour groups beca sowhat more "civilized," starting to use various thods for tied selling. Such incidents often occurred with low-cost tour groups. So travel companies advertised seven-day tours for 1,000 yuan, all-inclusive, but this was rely a gimmick and bait. Once they lured people in, they would initiate various binding agreents and rip-off sches, using every trick in the book to fleece tourists. If you wanted to get ho safely, not losing so money was almost impossible. Often, a 1,000 yuan tour would end up costing several thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan in actual expenses!
What Old Zhang encountered this ti was actually the sa kind of incident; the only difference was that it happened abroad! This signature-for-donation was also a common trick. It exploited Chinese people’s unfamiliarity with English, first getting them to sign under false pretenses. After they signed, money would be directly demanded. According to Zhang Qingyuan, the other elderly people had compromised and chosen to pay. Only he had been stubborn and refused. And then, he was sued.
"This matter... is sowhat difficult to handle," Qin Mu said earnestly, listening to Zhang Qingyuan’s plea over the phone. "The case took place abroad, so it’s beyond the reach of our dostic jurisdiction."
Moreover, Old Zhang signed the voluntary donation form, and handwriting analysis can prove he wrote it. This kind of signed docunt usually carries legal weight; once signed, one must donate. Otherwise, one faces legal responsibility! Furthermore, Old Zhang is being sued in a foreign court, and their laws are distinctly different from ours, with major differences, especially in European countries where many unusual laws exist.
For example, a pillow is considered a weapon, and using it in a fight ans facing criminal liability. Suicide is illegal; if soone is found attempting it, one has the right to kill them. If you don’t feel full after dining in a restaurant, you can leave without paying; if a restaurant fails to fill you up, you can go to another, and the first restaurant’s owner isn’t allowed to stop you. You may perform a righteous act by catching a thief, but if the thief is hard, the one who caught them will face increased criminal liability. It is forbidden to leave prison, but escaping prison is not a cri; if one is unsatisfied with the prison, they can choose to break out... and so on. In terms of defining illegal and criminal acts, one law is more peculiar than the next.
Qin Mu sighed, a headache already forming at the thought of it.
At the sa ti, a voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
"DING! A new event has been detected, triggering a new mission."
"DING! Please choose one of the following three tasks:
1. Help Zhang Qingyuan resolve this trouble and assist him in returning to his ho country smoothly.
2. Use the foreign legal system to deal with the illicit tour group and help the other elderly people recover their lost money.
3. Give this illicit industry a deterrent it will never forget."
"Friendly reminder: This mission is complex and challenging. Upon completion, a random rare reward will be granted."
Upon hearing this voice, his expression brightened, and he slowly raised his head. Three mission options appeared before him, each representing a different level of difficulty. Once again, the third task was the hardest. The first task was the simplest, only requiring him to help Zhang Qingyuan get out of trouble.
Looking at these tasks, Qin Mu took a deep breath. He uttered one word, "Three."
The first and second tasks weren’t even in his consideration. The third was difficult, but it was what he most wanted to do. Since he had chosen to act, he might as well go all out and eradicate the problem completely, root and stem.
"Old Zhang, why don’t you ask a local lawyer there for advice and see what they suggest?"
"I don’t think Xiao Qin can handle this. He’s invincible in China, but that doesn’t an he’s unbeatable abroad."
"Exactly! He might not even be able to say ’hello.’ You better hurry and ask other lawyers."
"Or perhaps you could negotiate with the court there? See if the case can be transferred to China and tried according to our laws?"
Seeing Qin Mu remain silent for a long ti, Li Weiguo, Song Tiancheng, and the others took the phone and spoke to Zhang Qingyuan, who was waiting on the other end. They told him not to waste ti and to quickly find a lawyer to inquire about the situation.
"Hold on, who says I can’t do it?" Qin Mu retorted, snapping back to reality, his expression darkening upon hearing their comnts.
Li Weiguo paused montarily, then couldn’t help but ask, "Xiao Qin, do you actually... understand these foreign laws?"
Qin Mu shook his head and honestly replied, "I don’t."
At most, he knew of so eccentric laws. He was totally unfamiliar with the complete legal systems.
"Well, there you go, Old Zhang! You should hurry and..." Li Weiguo, hearing Qin Mu’s admission, took the phone and started persuading Old Zhang again.
But before he could finish, Qin Mu interjected, "But I can learn, can’t I? The hearing is in five days, right? That should be enough ti."
These words once again shocked everyone into silence. Mr. Li, in particular, didn’t know how to refute Qin Mu.
However, when they recalled Qin Mu’s expertise in dostic law, they thought that perhaps he wasn’t just boasting.
From the phone, Zhang Qingyuan’s excited voice suddenly erupted, "Xiao Qin, are you serious? Then you have to start learning quickly! Fly over here and help with the lawsuit! I’ll pay for your plane ticket!"
"These crooked tour guides dared to scam ? I’ll make them pay dearly!!"
His voice was loud and firm, completely devoid of its earlier dejection.
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