Jin City.

Legal Pioneer Law Firm.

That afternoon, Yan Jiayu and Liu Die arrived here.

The most famous lawyer in Jin City currently... was none other than Zhang Wei.

However, there was a constant stream of people seeking consultations.

They took a number and waited in line for over an hour before they finally saw Zhang Wei.

They relayed the "difficulties" they had encountered.

"You're saying... you want to sue the other party for extortion?" After listening, Zhang Wei restated their problem.

Yan Jiayu nodded, looking aggrieved, and said, "Lawyer Zhang, you have no idea how aggressive the other party was. We sincerely apologized, yet they showed no appreciation at all."

"Two hundred thousand—we simply can't afford that."

"Isn't demanding such an amount extortion?"

Speaking of this, Yan Jiayu couldn't help but complain.

By her side, Liu Die chimed in, "Exactly, Lawyer Zhang, you didn't see the attitude of that family, insisting on blaming us..."

The two of them went back and forth, looking as if they had suffered a great injustice.

"I've heard about your case online too." Zhang Wei looked intently at the two women and slowly began to speak.

During this time, the dog rescue case was causing a huge stir. Everyone in Jin City was discussing it in their spare time. Many people were heartbroken over the incident involving the sixteen-year-old boy.

However, what he hadn't expected was that the parties involved had actually come to him for consultation. And the question they asked was how to sue the boy's family!

"Forgive my frankness, but the other party's actions are not at fault. They don't involve anything illegal, let alone criminal. Even if you file a lawsuit, the court won't accept it," Zhang Wei said after some thought.

"Not accept it?" Yan Jiayu and Liu Die were momentarily stunned.

"Yes, their actions constitute a legitimate civil claim, not extortion through illegal events. Legally, they are supported; even if they were to claim one hundred million, it would be permissible," Zhang Wei continued explaining.

"In civil matters, one can claim compensation as long as there is a legitimate reason. The law supports this, provided the reason is just, reasonable, and lawful. If compensation is sought for an illegal matter, it could very well constitute extortion under the law. For instance, staged accidents. For example, deliberately falling in front of a car and demanding a large sum of money is illegal extortion. In such cases, if there's evidence proving the fall was unrelated to the driver, the driver can countersue for extortion. And regarding what you two said... the other party's demand for compensation is within the reasonable scope of civil damages. Two hundred thousand isn't actually a lot. It's reasonable, justifiable, and legal, so there's no possibility of it being extortion."

"So what you're saying is... we have no grounds to sue them?" Yan Jiayu and Liu Die exchanged a look. Their expressions soured after hearing Zhang Wei's explanation.

"That's correct. My advice is to settle the civil compensation quickly and not delay any further," Zhang Wei nodded seriously.

He had also seen the official announcement about this case. Yan Jiayu and Liu Die indeed wouldn't face criminal charges, but civil compensation was unavoidable.

"But... they're asking for two hundred thousand; we don't have that much money..." Yan Jiayu forced a smile. She looked as if she wanted to pay but simply couldn't afford it.

Zhang Wei's mouth twitched. He decided not to dwell on this topic with them any longer. Instead, he said sternly, "Do you have any other questions? If not, please pay the consultation fee. It's 500 yuan for this session."

"500?" Yan Jiayu and Liu Die's eyes widened again upon hearing this. They had only asked one question, and he was charging them five hundred?

"Don't tell me you don't even have five hundred?" Zhang Wei looked at them intently and said coldly.

He was thoroughly disgusted by their behavior. Under these circumstances, they were still thinking of suing the victim's family? They had no sense of basic decency! If they didn't even pay the five hundred yuan... he would have no choice but to call the police. As a lawyer, he knew exactly how to handle such situations.

"No, no." Yan Jiayu and Liu Die swallowed nervously, shaking their heads repeatedly.

Although they really wanted to skip out on the 500 yuan, the thought of his status... made them quickly dismiss that dangerous idea. The risk of offending a lawyer, especially a criminal defense lawyer, was simply too great.

"You pay half, I'll pay half." After a brief discussion, they decided to split the cost. Each paid half the fee, and after settling the bill, they hurried out of the law firm.

"Next." Zhang Wei snorted and moved on to the next client's consultation.

Since his reputation had grown, most clients visiting his law firm now sought advice on criminal cases. Most of them, of course, were defendants. He was exceptionally skilled in criminal defense. In criminal cases, the plaintiff was usually the public prosecutor's office, so he rarely took on cases representing that side.

「Jin City.」

「A certain community.」

Yan Jiayu and Liu Die returned to their rented apartment, their faces once again etched with worry.

In the past few days, due to their attempts to ignore the situation, online public opinion had become even more intense. Ninety percent of the comments were condemning them. The two of them were now deeply distressed, their brows tightly furrowed, tormented by the situation.

Cyberbullying! These words seemed simple, but only when it happened to them did they understand the pain. This invisible violence was no mere figure of speech.

Now, whenever they closed their eyes, images of the online abuse directed at them would flood their minds. Condemnations, curses, and vile obscenities assaulted them from all sides.

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