One characteristic of online trolls is their tendency to grasp only a superficial understanding of a situation before launching attacks against one party. As the saying goes, "If you haven’t experienced another’s suffering, don’t advise them to be virtuous." They never consider what the other person has gone through or what the truth of the matter actually is. These people... it’s best to steer clear of them, especially when trouble is brewing.

In a corner of the courtyard, Wan Zhongyuan sat on a small stool, sighing with similar regret. This case not only involved Qin Mu and Zhang Qingyuan but also their nursing home. Due to the sheer number of people involved, it was impossible for them all to attend the hearing. Thus, he could only watch the live broadcast from here to keep up with the case’s progress.

Qin Mu’s words just now had touched him deeply. He understood more than Li Weiguo and the others, keenly aware of the internet’s dual nature. Sometimes, it could expose wrongdoing and allow public opinion to serve as a check. But at other times... it became a tool for individuals with ulterior motives or certain media outlets.

Ultimately, it’s still those trolls with their overwhelming, misplaced sense of justice, their need to make their presence known, spouting off without understanding the facts.

And this time, their nursing home had suffered greatly. Their online reputation was in tatters.

If Qin Mu hadn’t stepped up at that crucial moment, they might have genuinely been forced to close due to an inability to recruit new elderly residents.

"Qin Mu this time... seems truly angry." He raised his head. Watching the impassioned Qin Mu on the projection screen, he couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

In his memory, Qin Mu had always been refined and amiable, seemingly easy to get along with. He had never seen Qin Mu speak with such fervor or pursue a point so relentlessly. Even in the previous lawsuit against the entire internet, Qin Mu’s reaction hadn’t been this intense.

「Zizhou.」

In a high-end residential complex, within a study, Qing Lan stared at the live broadcast on her computer screen. She swallowed nervously and muttered, "To think they actually... made the streamer angry."

She had been sitting at her computer desk watching the courtroom’s live stream ever since the trial began. She heard every real-life case Qin Mu listed. Behind each case... was a human life lost. And after Zhang Wei’s defense, Qin Mu launched a fierce counterattack against Zhang Wei’s points.

She had never seen this side of Qin Mu. Although Qin Mu could be terrifying, he had never truly shown it like this. But the actions of Cheng Chuxiao and the others... seemed to have genuinely angered Qin Mu. Qin Mu clearly had no intention of giving them a chance at probation.

"These people... are probably in big trouble." She sighed and shook her head.

She felt no sympathy for Cheng Chuxiao and the others. Just as Qin Mu had said, those who incited public opinion and initiated cyberbullying didn’t deserve sympathy. Especially since the fault clearly lay with them. And yet, they dared to act so blatantly, all under the guise of "defending their rights." If it hadn’t been for Qin Mu, others might have actually apologized to them, admitting fault. And then they would have continued to endure the netizens’ criticism.

「Jin City Court.」

「Second Criminal Court.」

Qin Mu unleashed a verbal onslaught that lasted a full twenty minutes. After he finished speaking, in the defendants’ dock, Cheng Chuxiao, Han Tianming, and the seventeen others were all red-faced with shame. It seemed as though Qin Mu was merely speaking, but every word, every sentence, was a scathing rebuke aimed directly at them. They were all adults, yet this was the first time they had been chastised so severely in public. Indeed. They weren’t regretful, just embarrassed.

Beside them, Zhang Wei stared intently at Qin Mu, his brows tightly furrowed, his expression incredibly grave.

Qin Mu’s reaction... was far beyond his expectations. He was clearly unwilling to give Cheng Chuxiao and the others any chance for probation. Moreover, he had unleashed his attacks without mercy. Qin Mu had soundly refuted both points he raised: the first concerning criminal motive, and the second concerning the cessation of the crime. Regarding the first point, Qin Mu’s explanation was watertight: Cheng Chuxiao and the others had disseminated false statements and information purely for revenge. As for the second point... Originally, according to criminal law, for an attempted crime that was voluntarily abandoned, if no harm was caused, punishment *shall* be waived; if harm was caused, the punishment *shall* be mitigated. The key word here was ’shall,’ indicating it was mandatory. If they could successfully argue for crime cessation, they would receive a legally mandated sentence reduction—it *had* to be reduced. But Qin Mu... had demolished that argument from its very foundation.

After pondering for a long moment, he glanced at Cheng Chuxiao beside him and whispered, "This case... I’m afraid it’s a lost cause now."

This case didn’t involve particularly complex legal knowledge. But given the current situation... it would be very difficult to argue for probation anymore.

He sighed softly, choosing to give up. "You can only blame yourselves... for offending Qin Mu."

If Qin Mu hadn’t pursued the matter so relentlessly, he would have been quite confident. But Qin Mu’s professional capabilities... were in no way inferior to his own. With Qin Mu holding such a clear advantage, he had almost no way to fight back.

"Lawyer Zhang, didn’t you say there was a chance for probation?!" In the defendants’ dock, Han Tianming and the others, having heard Zhang Wei’s words, quickly looked up, their faces extremely grim. Probation meant no jail time; an actual sentence meant incarceration. They clearly understood the difference in severity.

But Zhang Wei just shook his head, indicating there was nothing he could do.

Faced with an enraged Qin Mu... he could only choose to temporarily avoid his sharp edge. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Zhang Wei looked at everyone and spread his hands. "I have said all I can say. Now it’s the free debate session. If you want to try again, you’re free to speak."

From his professional perspective... he could no longer see any hope. This case was, in all likelihood, going to be judged according to the sentencing requested in the indictment.