In the camera's view, Qin Mu and Zhang Qingyuan had not arrived; the plaintiff's and lawyer's benches were completely empty.

He... is actually late?! She blinked, somewhat astonished. In her memory, Qin Mu was always punctual, never late. Especially for a major case like this, suing 15,000 people across the internet, it was even less likely for him to be delayed. Based on her understanding of Qin Mu... he would never let these internet trolls off the hook.

Blocked... outside the courthouse doors? Upon hearing the clerk's explanation, she was completely baffled. She had heard of people getting stuck in traffic on their way to a court hearing, but stuck at the courthouse entrance... This was the first time she had heard of such a thing; it was outrageous.

At the same time, her curiosity grew about what the situation at the courthouse entrance could have become to block Qin Mu, Zhang Qingyuan, and even the opposing lawyers.

「Half an hour later.」

At the courthouse entrance, after an immense struggle, Qin Mu finally managed to reach the main gate with Zhang Qingyuan. After they presented their personal identification, the court officers, standing guard sternly at the gate, finally allowed the two to enter the courthouse.

In fact, to accommodate this trial, Jin City had mobilized multifaceted support. In addition to increasing the number of court officers, traffic police, security guards, and public security officers had also joined the effort. They had been stationed around the perimeter of the surging crowd, ever vigilant, fearing any major incidents.

"Finally, we're inside! I've never been this exhausted, not even when squeezing onto a bus," Zhang Qingyuan gasped for air, lamenting as they walked into the spacious courthouse lobby.

Qin Mu sighed helplessly, glanced at the time, and with Zhang Qingyuan, quickened his pace toward the Second Criminal Court.

It was already half past ten; they reckoned everyone at the trial had been waiting for some time.

But... when he entered the courtroom with Old Zhang, they were surprised to discover that the judicial panel was present, and Cheng Chuxiao and the other defendants were there, but the opposing lawyers... still hadn't arrived!

"The defense lawyer, Zhang Wei, just called. He said he's stuck on the fourth to last platform leading to the courthouse entrance, and we'll need to wait a bit longer," the clerk quickly approached Qin Mu and informed him.

Qin Mu was startled.

Zhang Qingyuan's eyes, however, lit up with excitement. "I know that place! It's where the biggest crowds gather. If Xiao Qin hadn't been pulling me along, I really wouldn't have made it through!"

The clerk: "..."

Qin Mu: "..."

After hearing Old Zhang's comment, Qin Mu also understood. So, it turned out that Zhang Wei and Wang Dachui hadn't anticipated this situation either and had gotten stuck en route. To them, the courthouse was normally just a stone's throw away, a mere few steps. But now... it seemed as distant as the ends of the earth, requiring a significant amount of time and effort to break through the throngs.

"Let's rest for a moment," Qin Mu said to Zhang Qingyuan, looking at the seventeen defendants in the dock.

This mass trial involving thousands... was to first hear the case against Cheng Chuxiao and sixteen others. As for the remaining defendants... the court, to maintain order, had decided to schedule their hearings in batches and at different times. Every defendant had received a text message assigning them a specific time slot.

Yet, despite these arrangements, the other defendants had still gathered at the courthouse entrance, not adhering to the schedule.

「Ten minutes later.」

At ten forty, Zhang Wei, his clothes disheveled and his hair a mess, rushed into the criminal courtroom.

"I'm so terribly sorry to have kept everyone waiting. The roads were... congested with people," he first bowed in apology to the judicial panel, then turned to Cheng Chuxiao and the others, as well as Qin Mu, expressing his apologies to each.

Having been a lawyer for so many years, this was his first time being late to a hearing. This left him feeling deeply ashamed. For a mass trial of this scale... his experience was still lacking; he hadn't even considered the possibility of a human traffic jam.

Fortunately... Qin Mu smiled faintly and reassured him, "It's alright. I only just arrived myself."

Zhang Wei was taken aback. Then, looking at the sweat on Zhang Qingyuan's forehead, he understood. Suddenly, he felt a sense of kinship, as if they were fellow sufferers facing the same hardships. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Fighting this lawsuit... was truly proving to be incredibly difficult.

BANG—

At that moment, Zhou Quanmin struck the gavel and declared solemnly, "Now that everyone is present, I declare that the trial concerning 153,674 individuals, including Cheng Chuxiao and Han Tianming, for the alleged crimes of defamation, extortion, illegal business operations, and others, now formally commences!"