0035 Duty
The next day, Qu Zhong went to the law firm as usual. She needed to start writing the application for Duan Ningqi's mental illness assessment and defense arguments. Su Rongqin's deadline for her was before the end of the day.
Document work has always been Qu Zhong's forte; he should be able to finish writing these two simple things in a whole day.
But by the time Su Rongqin left work with his bag, Qu Zhong still hadn't sent him the document.
He walked up to her workstation and said, "Hey, I told you I wanted to see this before I left work today."
Qu Zhong looked up from the computer screen and calmly said, "It's not time for me to leave work yet."
He said he would give it to me before I left work, but he didn't specify whose workday was ending.
A qualified lawyer must be able to exploit loopholes and apply hermeneutics to the fullest extent.
This was taught to her by Su Rongqin.
Su Rongqin never expected that she would directly use the "learn from the barbarians to subdue the barbarians" tactic on him. It truly felt like teaching a disciple would lead to the master starving, and the key point was that he couldn't refute it. In the end, he laughed in exasperation: "Fine, the last person to leave turns off the lights."
In the end, Qu Zhong was unable to send Su Rongqin the two items he wanted.
No one expected that Duan Ningqi's case would be exposed in this way.
A blurry, indistinguishable video and a crystal-clear audio recording went viral side by side.
Zhai was filled with regret, regretting that he hadn't taken the USB drive from Qu Zhong yesterday. He wanted to use a firm approach to calm her down and make her back down.
But he forgot that she was Qu Zhong, someone who responded to gentle persuasion but not force. Instead of backing down, she became more determined and took an unconventional approach.
She gave what should have been given to him to the Weibo influencer who led the attack on her in the Chen Xi rape case.
How can there be such strange creatures as lawyers, who are so unable to distinguish between friend and foe, yet so adept at turning enemies into friends?
Zhai can't concentrate on any of the online discussions about this case. He's called Qu Zhong countless times, but no one answers.
Fearing she wouldn't recognize his phone number, he stayed in the prosecutor's office after get off work, making calls from a landline.
As night deepened outside the window, he thought that if he still couldn't get through, he would have to ask Qi Du for help.
His heartfelt words were like a blessed talisman, reaching Qu Zhong's ears precisely.
She answered the phone: "Hello?"
The moment he heard her voice, time seemed to stand still. Zhai gripped the microphone tightly to his right ear, clearly hearing his own heart pounding: "Where are you?"
The person on the other end of the phone remained silent; only the faint sound of wind could be heard.
Qu Zhong had actually pressed the wrong button; she meant to reject the call, but accidentally clicked the green button next to it. She didn't want to tell him; she just wanted to quietly be a fugitive, fearing for her life: "I want to be alone."
Zhai Shi's tone became noticeably anxious: "Do you want me to investigate you again?"
"..."
Abuse of public power for private gain is a violation of regulations.
However, Qu Zhong thought again and decided that if he really wanted to find her, going through all sorts of trouble wouldn't make a difference. So she gave him a location:
Beishan Park.
Beishan Park is the top park among Shanghai's ten major parks. It's located opposite the graduate campus of H University and not far from the C District Procuratorate.
Even so, Zhai Shi wished he could apply for a prosecutor's office vehicle, bypass all traffic rules, and get to her side as quickly as possible.
When Zhai finally found her on a double wooden bench in the park, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally calmed down a little.
He stood there for a while, catching his breath, until he was sure he was back to normal, before slowly walking towards her.
How long do you want to sit here alone?
She never expected Zhai to appear right in front of her like this; they had just been on the phone not long ago. Qu Zhong was stunned and remained motionless in her chair.
Zhai stared at her neck, which was mostly exposed to the cold wind, sighed, sat down beside her, and tied the scarf draped over her arm around her neck.
When she was wrapped up, it was like a leaky window that had been leaking air for a long time was finally covered with thick wallpaper, and Qu Zhong felt her neck immediately warm up.
It was not only warm, but also incredibly soft. She unconsciously buried her chin in it, so attached she didn't want to leave.
Zhai observed her reaction and then handed her another paper cup.
Qu Zhong asked in a low voice, "What?"
"milk tea."
She shook her head: "No, it contains caffeine, which will cause insomnia."
Zhai immediately took her hand and, like passing a baton, placed the paper cup on it: "It's not for drinking."
When I held the center of the cylindrical paper cup in both hands, it felt as if a warm breeze was passing through my palms, raising my entire body temperature by several degrees.
Qu Zhong immediately understood what it was for, and said lightly, "Oh... thank you."
Then, suddenly remembering something, she asked, "Where did you get my contact information?"
She kept calling his landline, which doesn't display her mobile number.
Where else could it be? It's the Xue Bo prostitution case, the case where they first met. When she sent him the law firm's letter and power of attorney, Zhai had already saved the mobile phone number of the lawyer handling the case attached to the power of attorney.
He simply kept it on the memory card, never dialing it. Like an archivist preserving stories, he secretly kept the number hidden from everyone.
Now that the number's owner has discovered it, he's still denying it: "I...I had someone check it for me..."
Qu Zhong actually believed it. She said "Oh" and then said slowly and seriously, "Prosecutor Zhai, you are suspected of illegally spying on citizens' personal information. I reserve the right to pursue legal action against you."
Zhai chuckled slightly, and the fact that he could still say such things wasn't too bad.
At this spot in Beishan Park, a group of middle-aged women were dancing in the square, their cheerful music filling the air. Next to the chairs they were sitting on was a decibel monitor, the numbers on which kept changing, like the irregular heartbeat of a feverish patient.
Before Zhai arrived, Qu Zhong just kept staring at those red numbers, not knowing what was so interesting about them.
In addition, she would occasionally bend down to tease the stray cats rubbing against her feet, and would also help pick up the balls that rolled to her feet.
While doing these things, she was completely still, her movements blank, devoid of any concrete thoughts. It was as if I had detached myself, observing life from the sidelines.
After sitting quietly for a while, Qu Zhong stretched out a hand and pointed ahead: "My alma mater is right across from that gate."
How could Zhai not know? "Hmm."
She seemed to be lost in a distant memory: "In class, the teacher taught us about professional ethics, and I remember it very clearly."
She remembers clearly that her teacher taught her that criminal defense lawyers should help their clients argue for innocence, lesser guilt, or reduction of criminal liability, and safeguard their litigation rights.
She gave a bitter smile: "Now I've forgotten everything."
What she did today is tantamount to turning herself, a criminal defense lawyer, into a police officer, a prosecutor, or even a judge.
They have the power of life and death, and the ability to settle scores with gusto; they are truly formidable.
After she finished speaking, she stared blankly at the lamppost standing not far away. On each side of the lamppost hung a small lantern, much like the scales in the hands of the Statue of Liberty.
She tilted her head to find Zhai Shi's eyes and asked in a low voice, "Do you know why the Statue of Liberty always has its eyes closed?"
One minute she's talking about professional ethics, the next she's talking about the Statue of Liberty. Her thinking is unpredictable, but Zhai still answered seriously: "Because she is a judge, she closes her eyes, striving for objectivity, fairness, and impartiality."
Qu Zhong nodded and said, "You're right."
"But I am not her."
Qu Zhong is not, and Zhai is not; they each have their proper place and their proper stance. This cannot be changed, nor can it be shaken.
The previous question was merely bait, intended to elicit this statement, what she truly wanted to say—what she had shamefully hidden away for several hours, only to finally be forced to confront:
"Zhai, did I do something wrong?"
The music for the square dancing stopped abruptly at that moment, and even the wind seemed to retreat, as if all the stillness was paving the way for such a heavy question.
Qu Zhong desperately hoped that Duan Ningqi would lie to her, like he lied to the police and prosecutors, and say that he hadn't done it. In that case, she could still use the words "hopeful possibility" to convince herself to defend him.
Yet he showed absolutely no reverence for the law she believed in, nor for those young, innocent lives.
From the moment she heard his words until she made up her mind to release the recording, the ethics of criminal defense and the ethics of being human, the two kinds of ethics—acquired and innate—were tug-of-war and mutually restraining each other in Qu Zhong's mind, leaving her feeling suffocated.
In the end, she chose the latter.
But after making that choice, what came over me was even greater regret and deep remorse.
Zhai didn't know how to answer her question. For the first time, he felt so closely how contradictory and painful her profession was.
He could only try to distract her: "Qu Zhong, have you ever heard a story about Dr. Herman?"
The unfamiliar name startled Qu Zhong: "No." Then, driven by curiosity, she asked, "What did you say?"
Zhai really prepared a story:
"This doctor is highly skilled and famous far and wide. He repays evil with kindness. Once, a thief broke his leg in the chaos of a robbery at his clinic. He performed surgery on him overnight and only handed him over to the police after he was completely cured."
He paused as he spoke, setting the stage for a turning point in the story.
"Not long after Germany launched World War II, a notorious Gestapo officer was shot and taken to his clinic. This time, however, he was wearing a white coat and plunged a scalpel into the man's heart."
Qu Zhong listened intently: "And then?"
"Later he went to court and was tried by the German Nazis, who accused him of defiling his scalpel."
Even at this point, Qu Zhong's first instinct was still to ask, "How did his lawyer defend him?"
Zhai shook his head: "This doctor isn't as lucky as Yu Wen and Chen Xi. He doesn't have a lawyer, so he has to defend himself."
He said that saving lives is a doctor's duty, but at that time, fighting fascism was an even higher duty.
Zhai told this story to tell her that although her actions today violated legal ethics, they were understandable. Because people have emotions and feelings, it's impossible to be completely rational and indifferent in such situations.
However, Qu Zhong focused on the wrong point: "So the doctor was acquitted?"
"..."
Zhai remained silent.
Because the answer is no.
He is guilty of intentional homicide.
This is the price he paid for fulfilling his excessive duty.
What should he do? It seems he gave a negative example. How can he smooth things over so that she isn't hurt even more by his terrible story?
He didn't speak, but Qu Zhong already knew the answer. She was now almost overwhelmed by a jumble of chaotic emotions, yet she was also acutely aware of what she was about to face. Her heart felt like a cracked nut, with occasional, slight pains welling up within her.
"Like this doctor, I might have nothing left after tonight. I thought my career was just beginning, but I never expected..."
Little did anyone expect that her professional career would end like this.
She will lose everything she has now.
They will be publicly criticized by the Shanghai Bar Association and condemned by their peers. They will also be fined, warned, and ordered to cease practicing law by the C District Justice Bureau.
The worst-case scenario is that she has her lawyer's license revoked and is permanently removed from the legal profession.
Even without these punishments, after this incident, which criminal suspect or defendant would be willing to trust her and entrust her with their case?
Not only that, Qu Wanfeng would also point his finger at her and berate her: "You're so high and mighty, so great. In the end, you still have to rely on others."
She should have expected this. How could things suddenly go so smoothly, with good fortune constantly showering upon her?
It turns out that they first lifted her to the top, and then slammed her down hard.
Everything is nothing more than scattered diamonds by the hand of fate, fleeting brilliance that cannot be grasped.
It's almost time for her to wake up.
As she spoke, her head was bowed, her tone utterly desperate. Zhai had never seen Qu Zhong so vulnerable.
What's even more helpless is that he can't comfort her by telling her to think positively, that things might not be as bad as she imagines.
Because an overly optimistic attitude that sees everything in a positive light is also a kind of illness. It's like forcibly binding inferior greenery to already bare tree branches to create the illusion of spring, just to add to the festive atmosphere.
"The true feelings..."
Zhai called out her name, but he had no idea what to say next.
Hearing the sound, Qu Zhong looked up at him. Her pupils were crystal clear, reflecting the light from the overhead lamp, like a deep night sky adorned with stars.
Zhai instinctively reached out and covered her eyes.
If he didn't do that, he might lean in and kiss her if he looked at her any longer.
This idea is too strong.
But he didn't want her to know how much he cared about her at this time.
Taking advantage of someone's misfortune is clearly unfair.
His palms quickly became wet.
She was crying, and most likely didn't want him to see it.
Zhai could no longer hold back; he raised his arm and pulled her into his embrace.
Qu Zhong didn't want to cry in front of the same person again and again, but she couldn't control herself. She leaned against Zhai Shi's chest and took a deep breath, her nostrils filled with his clean and pleasant scent.
Her eyes grew hotter and hotter, and tears streamed down her face like those of a defeated soldier, disheveled and utterly rude, all of which ended up wiping onto Zhai Shi's clothes.
Qu Zhong was in unbearable pain, and Zhai Shi was in no better shape. There was nothing he could do to help her; all he could do was hold her tighter and tighter.
As she cried, Qu Zhong longed to fall asleep in this warm embrace right away.
I hope dawn never breaks, and tomorrow never comes.
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