"That means, according to the charges brought by the prosecution, your son... might be sentenced to up to seven years in prison."

Zhang Wei patiently explained once again.

"What?"

"Seven years?"

Xu Ping and his wife exclaimed in shock. Both were taken aback.

They had thought this was just petty theft. They hadn't expected the penalty to be so outrageously high!

"Zhang... Lawyer Zhang, you aren't trying to scare us, are you?" Keeping his wits about him, Xu Ping eyed Zhang Wei with a hint of suspicion.

Zhang Wei's mouth twitched. But he still spoke earnestly, "I am a lawyer, and I take responsibility for what I say. Besides, this is just an initial inference. If the theft of these deliveries leads to a series of serious problems, the penalty will only be heavier."

Upon hearing this, the color drained from Xu Ping's face, suddenly turning somber.

The words "only heavier" echoed continuously in his mind. More than seven years! That meant his son might spend his time in prison until he was thirty! And after turning thirty... Even if he were released, it was unlikely that any woman would want his son. His Old Xu family... might end up without descendants because of this!

"Lawyer, you... you're a well-known lawyer in Jin City, can you help us? My son can't go to prison..." Xu Ping's wife stared intently at Zhang Wei, pleading desperately.

Zhang Wei frowned. Then he glanced at his schedule and nodded. "The court date on the subpoena is in five days, and I happen to be free then, so I can defend you."

In the legal profession, lawyers who handle criminal cases are called defense lawyers, while lawyers who handle civil cases are called attorney advocates.

"Then... then... can my son avoid prison?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ping and his wife couldn't help showing a look of joy and eagerly asked further.

Zhang Wei shook his head. "The case is prosecuted by the public prosecutor's office. The evidence is conclusive; there are no mistaken or false charges, and there's no error in the evidence collection. Winning the case is impossible."

To avoid imprisonment, one must win the case. But in the face of ironclad facts and evidence, no lawyer could be of use.

"You should first tell me more about the specifics, as well as the whereabouts of those stolen deliveries. Make sure not to hide anything."

Subsequently, Zhang Wei began to inquire as per normal procedure.

Handling a single theft is manageable. But for multiple thefts, each stolen item must be examined carefully. Otherwise, on the day of the court, he might be caught off guard by the opposing prosecutor.

Xu Ping and his spouse nodded repeatedly. Not daring to delay, they honestly recounted the situation of the deliveries Xu Leshan had stolen over the past few days.

Some daily use items, after being opened, were kept at home for personal use. The iPhone 13 was resold. Identifications and other documents were either cut up or torn up.

"Wait, among these documents, were there any particularly important files or similar?" Zhang Wei sharply sensed the crux of the issue.

The other everyday items, including the iPhone 13, actually amounted to nothing. Rather, it was these documents... If not handled properly, they could potentially lead to severe consequences!

"Important documents?" Xu Ping thought back carefully, then shook his head. "It seems all those documents were burned by my son as scrap paper; we don't know exactly which ones they were."

These stolen deliveries... they couldn't possibly treat them as trash, or they might be discovered by others.

Zhang Wei fell silent.

"Lawyer Zhang, are these very important?" Seeing that Zhang Wei was silent, Xu Ping asked again.

Zhang Wei nodded and said solemnly, "Very important."

For ordinary deliveries, only their value is considered. But for stolen documents, one must assess the loss caused by the theft to determine the severity of the case and the final sentence. Besides, the theft of documents can lead to many possible charges. Stealing core business secrets constitutes the crime of infringing on business secrets. Stealing documents from state agencies, feedback letters, court subpoenas, and the like, constitutes theft, robbery, or destruction of state agency documents, identifications, or seals. Stealing other items... In short, stealing deliveries, like opening mystery boxes, is extremely dangerous. If a forbidden item is stolen, an additional prison term is almost guaranteed. Moreover, these thefts of different documents aren't considered a single offense that happens to break multiple laws; they are treated as separate crimes, and the sentences will be added together. The victims are different, the stolen items are different, and each belongs to a separate case. And now all documents have been burned. Even he can't prepare in advance. He can only handle it on the spot during the trial when the prosecutor presents the evidence.

"Is it... that serious?"

After hearing this, both Xu Ping and his wife looked ashen-faced. Feeling even more regretful, they thought, If only we had disciplined and stopped our son earlier, it wouldn't have escalated to this point.

「Nursing home.」

As a victim, Qin Mu also received a notice from the prosecutor's office at the first opportunity, informing him that in five days, there would be a public hearing for the case of the stolen deliveries, and asking him to be present on time to participate.

This case, being one of multiple thefts, had led the prosecutor's office to intervene and initiate a public lawsuit. He and other owners within the residential complex were either co-plaintiffs or witnesses.

When the court session took place, they would appear as witnesses to accuse and provide evidence of the theft. The rest would be up to the public prosecutor—that is, the prosecutor's office—to handle.

"I just don't know how many years they'll sentence him to," Qin Mu muttered to himself, rather curious.

The way Xu Leshan has been stealing deliveries and opening mystery boxes...

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