0048 The Trial by Three Judges (Part 2)

After Qu Zhong left the courthouse, Lin Qianqian, who had been standing in the cold wind outside for a while, stared at the suspicious redness on Qu Zhong's face that hadn't faded yet and questioned, "What were you doing in there?"

"Huh?" Qu Zhong pretended not to understand. "I didn't do anything. Didn't I say I was going to the restroom?"

"Does going to the restroom take this long?" Lin Qianqian's eyes were sharp as hooks. "Can't you finish applying your lipstick before you talk?"

"..."

I was careless; after kissing for so long, my lipstick has completely worn off.

Qu Zhong laughed sheepishly twice to brush it off, and pulled them toward Songyuan Road.

I randomly picked a coffee shop by the roadside and sat and chatted until about 4:30 pm, then took a taxi to my alma mater, H University.

The three people, who had difficulty making decisions, thought for a long time but still couldn't figure out where to eat. Finally, they hit it off and decided to go to Huahang Restaurant, which is opposite H University.

During our graduate school years, besides our beloved hometown, Longzhimeng, the place we frequented most was Huahang Restaurant. It was located right across from the school gate, and its dishes were plentiful and delicious; not only did H University students love to eat there, but even professors often patronized it.

When the three of them pushed open the restaurant door, it wasn't lunchtime yet. There was only the proprietress inside, sitting at a small table peeling garlic.

Upon seeing them, the proprietress immediately wiped her apron and stood up, warmly inviting them to sit down.

Feng Jing instinctively walked towards the innermost square table, the one they always sat at when they came to eat before.

This time, Qu Zhong stopped her, pointed to a slightly larger round table next to them, and suggested, "Let's sit there."

"Why?" Feng Jing and Lin Qianqian asked in unison.

Qu Zhong walked straight to the round table, and like a well-trained waiter, dragged out the chairs that had been stored inside one by one and arranged them at appropriate intervals, saying, "Come on, the small table can't accommodate everyone."

Lin Qianqian plopped down: "What do you mean? Who else is coming? The fourth person in our dorm?"

Qu Zhong chuckled, and Feng Jing quickly asked, "Oh! Is your boyfriend coming?"

Qu Zhong nodded, then asked again, "You don't mind, do you?"

"What's the use of minding?" Lin Qianqian, whose seat was facing the door, tossed her chin, gesturing for the two to look towards the door.

It was just past five o'clock, just past Zhai Shi's off-get off work time, when he suddenly appeared at the location Qu Zhong had sent him.

It didn't feel like a friendly gathering for a meal; it felt more like a job interview, a defense, or even a court hearing, with everyone afraid of being late.

"Here." Qu Zhong turned around and waved to him.

It was visibly his steps were heavy and stiff as he walked, and his expression was like that of a weather monitor about to issue a level 10 gale warning.

Before today, Zhai didn't really understand what social anxiety was, and he never thought he was one. Although he rarely socialized, he always attended department dinners normally, and he had never been as nervous as he was now.

He sat down in the empty seat next to Qu Zhong. Lin Qianqian and Feng Jing sat opposite him, flipping through the thick menu over and over again.

"The rooster with millet peppers is a must-order, as well as this squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, boiled beef, and stir-fried pork liver with soy sauce..." Feng Jing skillfully recited the names of the dishes, all of which were dishes that the group of them often ordered before.

As they were talking, Lin Qianqian suddenly interrupted and asked, "Hey, who's paying for this meal?"

You should know that when they were in graduate school, the three of them took turns paying for their meals.

Zhai replied instantly: "I'll do it."

Feng Jing paused in writing the form. Before she could speak, Lin Qianqian nodded and looked across at the other side, saying with difficulty, "Isn't that a bit inappropriate? Can civil servants have high consumption quotas?"

The hearing has begun. Today's court hearing is being held outside the courtroom, and the presiding judge is Lin Qianqian.

Lin Qianqian gave a signal, and juror Feng Jing immediately understood: "Right, isn't it inappropriate for the prosecutor to have dinner with three lawyers? Won't they be reported afterward?"

“Mmm.” Lin Qianqian nodded vigorously. “After we finished eating, San San was expelled from the Shanghai Bar Association because he didn’t avoid suspicion.”

"..."

The two of them kept singing in harmony, and Zhai couldn't get a word in edgewise, constantly glancing at Qu Zhong for help.

What was Qu Zhong doing at this moment? Sipping his barley tea silently, he looked exactly like a casual audience member in a theater. He seemed completely oblivious to the grand spectacle unfolding before him, utterly helpless, and perhaps even a little…gloating.

Zhai thought there were only Feng Jing and Lin Qianqian sitting in the dock, but it turns out there were three...

He was stuck there, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles, like he had thorns in his back, and he couldn't answer anything.

Thank goodness, the proprietress came over at that moment and confirmed their order with them.

"No problem." Qu Zhong glanced at the menu handed over by the proprietress while watching the show and nodded.

Lin Qianqian continued, "I think it's better if we split the bill, each of us scanning the code to pay for our own portion. What do you all think?"

At this point, Qu Zhong felt that if she didn't say something, Zhai would be teased to tears by the two of them: "Alright, you're not satisfied even though someone's treating you? Keep it up here."

She was trying to help Zhai out of a difficult situation, but Lin Qianqian perceived it as blatant favoritism and betrayal. She glanced at him sideways, her tone mocking, "Qu Zhong, aren't you afraid this meal will affect your husband's career?"

Lin Qianqian used an unfamiliar title, one that Qu Zhong had never used to address Zhai before, quite naturally.

She usually calls Lin Qianqian "husband" and "wife," but when it comes to Zhai Shi, she doesn't seem to be able to say it like that...

However, Qu Zhong neither corrected her nor picked up on her comment. Lin Qianqian was incredibly eloquent; she would return every criticism tenfold.

Qu Zhong's indifference doesn't mean Zhai Shi is indifferent. Casually turning her head, she noticed his earlobes were bright red, and the corners of his mouth were almost turned up to the sky.

It's unbearable to look at.

Qu Zhong directly stepped forward and subtly bumped the side of his knee, signaling him to tone it down.

Zhai received the signal, coughed lightly, and hid the worthless expression on his face.

Before the food arrived, Lin Qianqian started a conversation, her words causing a stir: "Prosecutors must have a lot of under-the-table income, right?"

She's not a lawyer at all; she's clearly the head of the economic crime investigation team and a member of the discipline inspection committee. She's currently conducting an investigation into dereliction of duty, and if she can't answer, she'll be placed under investigation.

"No." The only prosecutor present had to clarify that, regarding Qu Zhong's friends, who were also taxpayers, "the case was handled impartially and transparently, and there were no unclear income or expenditures."

Perhaps it was Zhai Shi's serious tone that stunned Lin Qianqian, who had only meant to make a joke, leaving her speechless.

It was a little awkward. Fortunately, Feng Jing was a master at handling awkward situations. She followed up on Zhai Shi's words and started talking about the case that had been heard in court that afternoon: "By the way, who will receive the compensation for this public interest litigation today?"

In this case, the prosecutor made three claims against the defendant company: first, to pay 20,000 yuan in damages for public interest damage; second, to recall and dispose of the batch of toxic and harmful cakes in accordance with the law and bear the related costs; and third, to issue a public apology in a nationally influential media outlet to eliminate the negative impact.

The compensation that Feng Jing asked about was the first claim that Zhai made in the lawsuit.

When the topic turned to his profession, Zhai's nervousness subsided somewhat, and his answer revealed a calm and composed demeanor: "The money is deposited into the public interest compensation account designated by the court, and held in custody by the state."

"Oh..." After hearing what he said, Qu Zhong and the other two let out a long, enlightened sound in unison, and then looked at each other and laughed.

Law is truly a complex and vast discipline; there is so much to study, both in theory and practice. Even after two years of practice, Qu Zhong and her colleagues still find themselves clueless when faced with unfamiliar areas, just like when they're handling a case for the first time.

This is also the charm of the law—it requires constant exploration and in-depth investigation. Lawyers should do this, and so should prosecutors. The former resolves the problems of their clients, while the latter protects the public. When they happen to meet, they can sit down calmly and converse using the language of the law.

Like right now, at the round table, there are three lawyers and one prosecutor. Or perhaps we shouldn't be so clear-cut; to put it simply, there are four people.

Soon, all the dishes were served, and the proprietress casually drew a line across the order slip.

The court hearing has concluded today; no one was injured or killed.