...

The following day, Qin Mu went to work as usual. After work, he planned to buy some lottery tickets to round up the remaining money he had.

But in the afternoon, several court staff members came to the nursing home and handed him a summons.

"The court is scheduled to convene in five days. Please be present on time."

The court officials gave a few instructions and then hurried away.

When Zhang Qingyuan, Li Weiguo, and the others saw this, their eyes lit up immediately. They gathered around, eager to see the commotion.

"Xiao Qin, you've been sued? So this is what a court summons looks like! I had no idea."

"Great! We can go and watch the trial again. It's been so boring staying in the nursing home these days."

"Who sued you? Did you owe someone money?"

"It's them?"

"..."

After reading the summons and the accompanying copy of the complaint, Zhang Qingyuan and the other seniors were so angry they were practically snorting and glaring. They all knew about the cyberbullying incident involving Qin Mu; it was Yuan Cui Lian and her family who had instigated it. Little did they expect the matter was far from over. Now, Yuan Cui Lian's family had turned around and sued them in court, demanding that Qin Mu and three others be found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and seeking a hefty compensation of 1.58 million! These details were laid out clearly in the copy of the complaint. The initial excitement of witnessing some drama vanished instantly, replaced by outrage.

"Isn't this going too far? Wasn't it her son robbing someone on the street that led to everything that happened afterward?"

"And the complaint actually claims the pursuers contributed to her son's indirect death? Unbelievable!"

"What's truly outrageous is that Bai Xuelan, the victim of the robbery, is listed as one of the defendants!"

"This is a classic case of the villain suing the victim first!"

"..."

As Qin Mu listened to Old Zhang and the others' indignant remarks, he couldn't help but frown.

Regarding this case, the prosecutor's office and other agencies had considered the matter too minor to meet the criteria for criminal charges, so no public prosecution was initiated. But, as the aggrieved party, Yuan Cui Lian and her family could indeed initiate a private prosecution; that was their right as citizens. However, the charges they'd brought and the amount of compensation they were seeking were simply too excessive. In this incident, Bai Xuelan bore no responsibility. He, Liang Chengbin, and Hua Li would likely have to bear some civil liability for compensation. According to the division of responsibility in the Civil Code, this compensation should amount to roughly 5% each. After all, he and Liang Chengbin had acted heroically, while Hua Li was just plain unlucky, not even at fault for a traffic accident. Yet now, the other party was suing the four of them for involuntary manslaughter, coupled with a civil claim for 1.58 million! This was also the first time he had ever received a court summons. In the past, he was always the one suing others, sending out summonses. Now, the tables had turned.

A complex mix of emotions churned within him.

Just then, his phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number with no caller ID information, though the call originated from Jin City. Hesitantly, he answered.

"Hello? Is this Brother Qin? It's me, Liang Chengbin."

A deep, middle-aged man's voice came through the phone. The usual boldness and cheerfulness were gone from his tone, replaced by a hint of suppressed distress.

"It's like this... I... I've been sued. The court wants me to appear in five days... What should I do now?" Liang Chengbin continued, his voice full of confusion and helplessness.

After listening, Qin Mu immediately reassured him, "Don't panic. It's just a court hearing for a lawsuit. Just make sure you appear in court on time." He paused, then explained some of the lawsuit procedures in simple terms. "This time, the lawsuit isn't just against you; it also includes me, Bai Xuelan, and Hua Li. What we need to do now is find a defense attorney before the trial."

People who have never been involved in a lawsuit usually panic and feel helpless when sued, especially if the lawsuit involves potential criminal charges. If they lose the case, they might even face prison time. Many people easily lose their composure in such situations.

...

「Meanwhile, in Jin City.」

Inside a dormitory building on a construction site, a small room, less than twenty square meters, was partitioned into areas for a kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedroom.

"Okay, okay, I got it."

Liang Chengbin gratefully hung up the phone and looked at his wife, who was sobbing quietly on the bed.

Two or three days had passed since the incident where he'd acted heroically. He had thought that being released would be the end of it. But just yesterday, a video of him and Qin Mu's pursuit, which allegedly led to a death, suddenly went viral online. It spread across the entire internet. Below the video, countless netizens joined in condemning them. Denunciations, insults, criticisms, and curses abounded. Someone had even dug up his identity and was continuously spreading it in the comment sections. As a result, all his relatives, near and far, found out about the incident. They frequently called to ask about the situation, and gossip was rampant.

He, a grown man, could still bear it. But his wife, after learning about these events, became emotionally unstable and would often cry secretly. Her eyes were swollen from all the crying.

He sat beside his wife, speaking soothingly, "Xiao Qin, please stop crying. I just talked to that friend. He seems to know a lot about the law and told me not to worry too much. He said we can't lose this lawsuit; everything will be fine..."

But hearing this, his wife cried even harder.

"Getting a lawyer costs money too! Baoer is still in the countryside. We both came to the city to work, hoping to save some money so that when he starts elementary school, we can bring him to the city for a better education…"

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