The contents of the summons were extremely concise and straightforward, without a single superfluous word.
It showed that she was being jointly sued by Qin Mu, Liang Chengbin, and others, making her the defendant.
The grounds for the lawsuit, alleging criminal activity, were the infringement of citizensā personal information and provoking trouble.
The facts presented in the summons detailed the behaviors Qin Mu had listed.
Just posting a video online makes me a suspected criminal?
Regarding this, she felt indignant and found it incomprehensible.
My brother died. Our family hasnāt received any compensation. Out of anger, I chose to disclose the personal information of Qin Mu and the three others. What was wrong with that? And although the video targeted Qin Mu and the three others, surely it couldnāt constitute the crime of provoking trouble, right?
The summons also listed the court date: the hearing would officially take place at the Jin City Court in four days. Coincidentally, that was also when their administrative detention would end.
"This is outrageous!"
Upon finishing the summons, Yuan Cui Lian trembled with anger. She was extremely agitated.
"Is there no law in this world anymore!" she exclaimed. "These people killed my son, offered no compensation, and now they have the audacity to sue us? If we werenāt under administrative detention right now, Iād definitely go to that nursing home and confront them! Iād see just how shameless they can be!"
The boredom and frustration of the past few days finally boiled over. Inside the detention room, she began shouting, which eventually drew a warning from the guards.
"Mom, calm down for now. Letās not think about confronting them yet," Xia Qingqing said with a wry smile. "Right now, the priority is to find a lawyer and fight this."
She knew that after receiving a summons, one should actively respond to the lawsuit.
Moreover, she was also worried that if they caused more trouble, Qin Mu might have them administratively detained again. That would mean the losses outweighed the gains.
As long as we win the lawsuit, everything else will be manageable.
"But weāre detained here. Where can we find a lawyer?" Yuan Cui Lian looked around and couldnāt help but ask.
Xia Qingqing was silent. With her limited legal knowledge, she didnāt know what to do at that moment.
Fortunately, their release was scheduled for four days laterāthe night before the court hearing.
It seems the only thing to do now is wait until the administrative detention ends to find a lawyer.
ćJin City.ć
Zhang Wei Law Firm.
"Hello?"
"Honey, I wonāt be home for dinner today. Ah, I canāt help it; Iāve taken on too many cases recently. Court dates are approaching, and I need to deal with them as soon as possible..."
Zhang Wei hung up the call with his wife.
He looked up at the clients filling his law firm. These individuals were only some of the defendants he was representing. Currently, a hundred people stood in the law office. There were several hundred more, whom he had scheduled for different times as the law office couldnāt accommodate everyone at once.
"One at a time," Zhang Wei said, taking a deep breath. He pulled out a voice recorder and continued proficiently, "Briefly tell me about your case and your situation. Focus on describing your commenting behavior, the content of your comments, the number of likes, and their reach."
The defendants exchanged glances. Seeing their "teammates" around them, their expressions were somewhat unnatural. After being summoned together by Zhang Wei, they gradually realized that everyone elseās case was similar to their own. All were defamation lawsuits. The reason was also identical: they had all posted "inappropriate comments" regarding the case of a pursuit that resulted in death.
And they had heard that their ranks numbered in the thousands.
Upon hearing this, everyoneās initial reaction was disbelief, but the reality seemed to be staring them in the face. As of now, Zhang Wei Law Firm alone had taken on over seven hundred cases. This meant that besides the hundred people present, there were another six hundred!
A vast army of defendants!
Looking at each other, they suddenly felt a sense of camaraderie, like fellow sufferers. Zhu Qingyun even took the lead in creating a group chat for Zhang Weiās clients to facilitate information exchange.
"Time is limited. Who wants to go first?" Zhang Wei asked, frowning slightly when no one responded.
This time, relying on his "personal prestige," he had indeed attracted a considerable number of defendants. However, handling so many cases was also a problem. He was the only lawyer in the firm!
Should I take advantage of the firmās current success to expand? Hire a few more lawyers? Try to become the top firm in Jin City for sentence reductions?
"Iāll start," Zhu Qingyun said, pursing her lips as she stepped forward.
She recounted her past actions, still feeling utterly innocent as she spoke. Then she pressed, "Lawyer Zhang, does this... really constitute defamation?"
Zhang Wei couldnāt help but roll his eyes. He said irritably, "You taunted someone by saying theyād never experienced the grief of losing a son, and then you cursed their entire family. What do you think?"
Such statements, beyond being personal attacks, also involved insulting family members, unequivocally constituting defamation. Defamation isnāt limited to fabricating false facts; it also includes verbal abuse, personal attacks, character assassination, and more. As long as the dissemination is widespread enough and meets the legal threshold, a lawsuit can be filed.
"But... thatās how we always curse people out. I was just furious at the time..."