The words had barely been spoken.

In the courtroom, everyone present revealed diverse expressions upon hearing the number announced by the Judgment Chief.

Over 15,000 people!

For a court hearing, this was undoubtedly an extraordinary number. The lawsuit was extensive, involving a large number of people, which also signified an immense workload.

"Given the excessive number of defendants, this court, after deliberation, has decided to process the aforementioned 15,000 individuals in batches. Today, a hearing for 1,000 people is scheduled."

Zhou Quanmin took a deep breath and stated gravely, "Priority will now be given to the case of 17 individuals, including Cheng Chuxiao and Han Tianming."

Indeed, they had been aware of this case for a week. It was only after consulting the Supreme Court that they had reluctantly decided to take it on. The Supreme Court's approval stated that this case concerned legal fairness and justice, requiring them to handle it properly and without any bias. After receiving the approval, everyone in the court felt their scalps tingle; they worked overtime for seven consecutive days, preparing litigation materials in advance, sorting them meticulously. They strove to handle the case with optimal efficiency, preparedness, and social impact. It was rumored that the Case Filing Chamber and the Procuratorate had been swamped since receiving the indictments. Working day and night, they were as exhausted as dogs. After all, those 15,000 summonses required their investigation and verification to determine if they should be issued and where they should be sent. By comparison, their mood here had considerably lightened. Their court wasn't the busiest, after all.

And the 17 defendants before him were the instigators of this cyberbullying incident. Their actions were particularly egregious, so they were scheduled in the first group for a prioritized hearing. Essentially, once the nature of their cases was determined, the remaining cases would be simpler to adjudicate.

THUMP.

With this in mind, he struck the gavel and continued, "Next, the plaintiff will read the indictment and present their litigation arguments."

The words had barely left his lips when Qin Mu eagerly stood up and declared loudly, "Judgment Chief, esteemed judges, and jurors, we are suing Cheng Chuxiao and others. They harbored resentment because a dog was beaten to death by an elderly resident I represent at the nursing home. In retaliation, they deliberately spread rumors online, damaging the reputation of this elderly resident, myself, and the nursing home."

This time, he was representing Zhang Qingyuan, himself, and the nursing home as co-plaintiffs. As a lawyer, he could also defend his own rights and interests.

"The defendants' malicious dissemination of online public opinion was severe, constituting the crime of 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble.'

"All 17 defendants published illegal and false statements online, slandering us, insulting our character, and engaging in moral disparagement, thereby committing defamation.

"Furthermore, our investigation revealed that the defendants, under the guise of 'rights protection,' illegally gathered netizens and an online water army. In an organized and systematic manner, they smeared our reputation and attacked us in various so-called 'rights protection' groups. This constitutes the crime of illegal business operations.

"During their 'rights protection' activities, these 17 individuals proactively issued a public statement demanding that we apologize to them, kneel and admit fault to the dog, and compensate the dog's owner. These actions constitute extortion and insult.

"Moreover, due to the widespread dissemination of these malicious fabrications by four of these individuals, our nursing home's operations and development have been severely impacted, leading to significant losses. To this day, no new residents have joined our nursing home. Their actions constitute the crime of damaging business and product reputation."

As he spoke, Qin Mu paused, glancing at Cheng Chuxiao and the others.

He stated coldly, "We demand that the defendants issue a public apology to the plaintiffs and publish an online statement clarifying the reputation of the plaintiffs and our nursing home.

"Additionally, we request the court to adjudicate fairly and sentence Cheng Chuxiao to eight years' imprisonment, Han Tianming to three years' imprisonment, Zhao..."

In front of the entire courtroom, Qin Mu showed no mercy towards Cheng Chuxiao and the others as he recited the recommended sentences.

Cheng Chuxiao's actions had pushed the nursing home into a severe crisis, to the brink of collapse. Her actions had caused... Cough, cough. Although Old Zhang appeared relaxed, he must have actually suffered immense emotional trauma. After all, no ordinary person could withstand such overwhelming condemnation and abuse from the entire internet. And Cheng Chuxiao and her associates were the instigators of all this. They propagated misleading public opinion, attempting to rally netizens to help them enact her version of 'fair justice.' Yet, they disregarded the illegality of their methods and the profound emotional distress their cyberbullying inflicted on the victims. Fortunately, both he and Old Zhang had weathered this storm of cyberbullying. Had it been someone else, thoughts of suicide or other extreme actions might very well have been provoked.

THUMP.

In the courtroom, after Qin Mu finished speaking, Zhou Quanmin struck the gavel and looked towards the defendants' dock.

Observing Cheng Chuxiao and the others, he asked, "Do the defendants have any objections to the accusations and charges presented by the plaintiff?"

Before the trial, he had reviewed the case files multiple times and was thoroughly familiar with the details. He knew this incident, much like the previous one, was another case of cyberbullying. The difference was, this particular instance stemmed from a dog. The dog's tragic death had provoked Cheng Chuxiao and the others into taking extreme measures. However, in reality, according to the Civil Trial Chamber's investigation and findings, the tragic death of the dog Cheng Chuxiao had raised had little connection to Qin Mu or Zhang Qingyuan. Although Zhang Qingyuan had indeed killed the dog, his actions were legally justified.