"Boss, your method really worked! They indeed haven’t touched the pumpkin field again!" The message conveyed a thick sense of joy. Qin Mu looked at it and smiled.

Previously, Qing Lan had worried that reporting the melon sellers to the police would provoke retaliation from the elders, which was exactly what happened last time. After she called the police, the elders had smashed the pumpkins in the field, causing Hu Wenning a huge loss.

And this time, spreading the "scandal" of Zhaojia Village around the town was also his instruction. The best way to deal with these shameless elders... is to make them directly experience the malice of those around them!

In the countryside, a town often encompasses dozens of villages. These villages are adjacent and interact closely on a daily basis. In the past, marriages mostly occurred between these villages. If word got out that the elders of Zhaojia Village were collectively stealing melons, the other villages would inevitably sneer at and despise them. It’s not being stolen from once that’s feared, but being constantly marked by a thief. No one would be so brazen as to befriend a village notorious for "producing" thieves. Who knows when their own homes might be burgled?

Clearly, his approach was effective; these elders now understood the stakes and didn’t dare to retaliate recklessly. The village’s economic and daily life interactions all depended on the town. Once the townspeople start treating Zhaojia Village differently, these melon-stealing elders will finally understand what it means to reap what they sow!

Next, it’s just a matter of waiting patiently for the court hearing, Qin Mu thought for a moment and replied with a message.

Within a few seconds, Qing Lan replied, "Zhou Suo personally called my bestie. He said the case has been reported, and they’ll decide whether to file it within two days. I hope these elders find a reliable lawyer to get them a suspended sentence. I really don’t want them to end up in the prison for the elderly and disabled."

Looking at Qing Lan’s "hopeful" message, Qin Mu smiled wryly. To be honest, for these melon-stealing elders, prison would be the best outcome. No excessive labor, free food and board every day, and a relaxed mood. Apart from the lack of freedom, everything else would be fine. A suspended sentence, however, is different. Regardless of age, they would need to undergo community correction and report their daily work and life. For these elders, a suspended sentence is the real punishment.

「...」

「Jin City.」

Legal Pioneer Law Firm.

This month’s performance... has slipped again, Zhang Wei thought, sitting in his office with a furrowed brow, staring at the computer. On the screen were the financial statistics, their law firm’s revenue for the month. They had only received over thirty cases, down by more than ten from last month. Performance was declining steadily. As for returning to the peak of hundreds of cases a month... that seemed like a distant dream.

The number of cases in various sectors of Jin City... is decreasing, he thought, sighing again. He felt somewhat helpless. As a lawyer, he was well aware of which sectors in Jin City had the most disputes and lawsuits. But ever since Qin Mu appeared, disputes in those sectors—such as real estate, banking, lottery claims, auto parts, and pharmaceuticals—had noticeably decreased. The crime rate had dropped significantly, and the number of criminal cases was visibly dwindling. It was said that Jin City was now competing for the title of "Civilized City," and there was a high chance it would be selected. This also meant... their law firm was becoming harder and harder to manage. If this continues, many lawyers will be forced to change professions.

RING RING RING—

Suddenly, Zhang Wei’s phone rang. He lowered his head, picked it up, and answered. The caller was Wang Dachui.

"Hello, I just got some internal news. There’s indeed a big case here," Wang Dachui said eagerly as soon as the call connected. "This case involves a lot of people, but it’s still in the preparatory stage for prosecution."

Zhang Wei’s expression instantly brightened. He had sent Wang Dachui to Zizhou precisely because he sensed there might be cases there. In Zizhou, Wang Dachui had gotten to know many former classmates who happened to work in the public security, prosecutorial, and judicial departments. As a lawyer, such essential connections were necessary. Only through them could one get timely information about potential cases.

Zhang Wei took a deep breath and asked, "How many people are involved?"

Wang Dachui paused before saying somewhat hesitantly, "I heard it’s... a whole village."

Before Wang Dachui could finish, Zhang Wei’s eyes widened, and he involuntarily swallowed. "How many?"

"It seems like a whole village. I’m not clear on the specifics, but it involves stealing melons. There were videos online, but they’ve all been deleted now..." Wang Dachui said with a wry smile, explaining what he knew.

This case was causing quite a stir in Zhaojia Village. Now, Zhaojia Village had gained some notoriety in Zizhou. Many people were spreading stories about the "Stealing melon village," saying a group of old men stole someone’s pumpkins and continued to do so even after being caught.

A case involving the elderly? Zhang Wei thought, frowning again as he listened to the brief account. Elderly people stealing melons... If it weren’t too serious, grassroots law enforcement usually wouldn’t make a big deal of it. That’s why these elders dared to be so lawless. But... this case might be related to Qin Mu. If so, then these elders, or this entire village, are definitely in for trouble.

"Okay, you stay in Zizhou for now. Keep a close eye on the case’s development. After the prosecution begins, go to Zhaojia Village and try to secure the representation rights."

"If you can secure the representation for this case, you’ll be credited with a major achievement!"