The material for the next episode was a consumer rights case against a bank.
It had nothing to do with these netizens... not a dimeās worth.
Soon after, he briefly explained the situation to Qing Lan.
A few minutes later, Qing Lan sent a flurry of messages: "Is the next episode about a bank? Did you sue the bank? Was the bank president investigated? Is the trial in five days?" Each question was filled with astonishment.
For the longest time, banks, these behemoths, had always bullied their customers. Everyone had to play by the bankās rules. Unconscionable terms like "not responsible once you leave the counter" had a long history. The key was that the bankās legal team was exceptionally powerfulāso powerful they had never lost a lawsuit against an ordinary person!
"It doesnāt have much to do with me. I just made a report, thatās all," Qin Mu replied, taking no credit.
Qing Lan was left speechless for a moment.
Even though Qin Mu said that, she felt there was definitely more to it. There must have been complaints about the bankās various issues before, but none had ever caused such a stir. His method of reporting this time... perhaps it was another āknowledge point.ā Unfortunately, no matter how much she pressed, Qin Mu refused to reveal any details beforehand, telling her to wait for the video in five days. This left her feeling rather antsy.
Time passed slowly.
ćFive days later.ć
At Jin City Court, the bank case went to trial. The bankās legal team and Zhang Wei jointly handled the defense. Chen Ming did his best, arguing for leniency based on financial law and other relevant statutes. Zhang Wei, from a criminal law perspective, presented numerous mitigating circumstances that could warrant leniency, defending the bankās senior and middle management. The entire case, due to its extreme complexity, lasted a full five hours.
The prosecution requested that Bank President Geng Jinglu be sentenced to twenty years of fixed-term imprisonment and forfeiture of all personal property.
Immediately after the defense arguments concluded, the court announced its verdict. Bank President Geng Jinglu was sentenced to nineteen years and six months of fixed-term imprisonment and forfeiture of all personal property. Other senior and mid-level bank personnel involved in the illegal and criminal activities also received various fixed-term prison sentences of three years or more, accompanied by fines or asset forfeiture. Administratively, considering the nature of these private financial institutions, a substantial administrative fine was also levied.
ćIn the nursing home.ć
Shortly after the verdict was announced, Qin Mu received an update and learned about the decision.
"Finally, the case is closed." Qin Mu heaved a sigh of relief, feeling completely at ease. This case was highly significant, as the bank was backed by substantial funds. If he hadnāt directly mailed the physical documents to the Financial Regulatory Authority, it wouldnāt have had such a significant impact. Of course, the collective report submitted by Song Tiancheng and the others also played a crucial role. This type of collective local reporting was enough to demonstrate the severity of the transfer and withdrawal irregularities.
"Sentenced? Serves them right for illicitly holding my money!"
"Iām never depositing money in these small banks again! Itās outrageous that you canāt even withdraw your own money!"
"Exactly! Itās a good thing we didnāt urgently need the money. Otherwise, who would compensate us for the losses incurred?"
"Itās a shame we couldnāt witness the sentencing..."
"..."
Upon hearing the news, Song Tiancheng and the others were also thrilled, clapping and cheering. This was especially true for Song Tiancheng, who urgently needed the money to build a house for his family. The bank had delayed him unreasonably for a long time. If it hadnāt been for Qin Muās help, thereās no telling when he would have been able to withdraw it.
I can start making the next video now.
After work, Qin Mu returned to his study at home and began recording the video, which had been delayed for over a month. He turned on his phoneās video function and, facing the camera, took a deep breath.
"First, I want to apologize for being on hiatus for so long."
"Letās get straight to it. This video is also about a consumer rights case."
"About two weeks ago, I suddenly found there was an issue with my bank account; transfers were abnormal, and I couldnāt withdraw funds."
"Later, when I went to the bank counter..."
He then recounted the entire ordeal for the video. The procedures at the bank counter were numerous. "First, I had to make an appointment, then fill out forms. The information required for the forms was also ridiculously demanding. Even my ID card wasnāt enough to prove my identity; they required all sorts of other supporting documents. After jumping through all those hoops, I was told to wait patiently."
"It was just an issue with an abnormal transfer, yet they dragged it out for nearly ten days!" Qin Mu said sternly to the camera. "In fact, I believe many people have probably encountered similar situations."
"Itās not just banks; many large organizations have similarly āinhumaneā bureaucratic procedures. They refuse to solve simple problems directly, instead constantly passing the buck. They arenāt technically violating any regulations or laws, so reporting them to the police or filing a lawsuit is futile. If you report them to the police, you canāt even get a case filed without evidence of actual criminal behavior. If you sue, they have an incredibly strong legal team, making it nearly impossible for an ordinary lawyer to win a civil lawsuit against them."
"This problem, in fact, has been around for a long time. Over the years, as the number of private banks has increased, so too have the disputes between customers and banks. But if you look at lawsuit records, youāll find that ninety percent of them are lost by the customers. The banksā legal teams have long since refined their contracts, systems, and operational methods to be watertight, ensuring no disadvantage to themselves."
"However, when faced with such situations, there are still other methods we can use."