Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Gu Nianzhi closed the book calmly, got up slowly, and saw a plainly-dressed, middle-aged couple. They stood on the edge of the grass, looking at her with humble smiles and a habitual slight bow. Gu Nianzhi’s eyes sparkled. She knew this couple! They were the parents of the victim, Li Haiqing. Standing up, she brushed off the grass and walked towards them.
“Miss Gu.” Li Haiqing’s mother addressed her meekly, and her eyes were a mixture of fear, gratitude, and sadness. Her body language communicated a tremendous effort to remain calm and poised. The couple looked at Gu Nianzhi, and it was apparent that they admired her. Miss Gu was way younger than their daughter, but she was already so capable…
Tears began welling up in Gu Nianzhi’s eyes. She curled her lips into a smile to the best of her ability in order to let the couple feel more at ease. “Mr. Li, Mrs. Li, you’re here. Let’s have a seat in my room,” Gu Nianzhi invited them. “I’ll buy you dinner tonight. The food here must not have been suitable to what you’re used to.” German cuisine was considered one of the most exotic around. What they considered delicious was scarce there.
The couple shook their heads and looked at each other. Li Haiqing’s parents were over 50, and due to the stress and sadness of her passing, they looked way older. Li Haiqing’s father said, “It’s okay. We’re here to speak to you.” He looked at Gu Nianzhi. All of a sudden, he bent down and bowed to almost 90 degrees.
Gu Nianzhi was taken aback. She rushed forward to help up the middle-aged man filled with sadness and said quickly, “What’s this for, Mr. Li? We can talk. I cannot accept this bow.”
“No, you can.” Li Haiqing’s mother began wiping tears from her eyes. “We come from a poor family and couldn’t afford a good lawyer. Thank you so much for agreeing to stand up for Haiqing. She was a good girl… A really good girl… She wasn’t… Wasn’t the type of… of girl who’d sleep around with guys…”
Gu Nianzhi held her breath and tried really hard before she was able to stop the tears from falling from her eyes. She spoke softly and slowly, “Mrs. Li, don’t worry about the money. They’ve done something wrong, so it’s only right that they face the music. As for the lawyer’s fees, don’t worry. You don’t have to pay them. Not only that, I’ll be fighting for a good sum of civil compensation for you.”
“Civil compensation?” Li Haiqing’s father shook his head. “It’s okay. We won’t be able to get my daughter’s life back no matter how much they give us… I really regret… I really do…”
Regret? What? Most likely, he regretted sending his daughter to Germany for her studies… Gu Nianzhi was so good with words in court. However, she realized that she did not know what to say when she faced this simple, middle-aged couple. She couldn’t think of anything to comfort them, who as parents, only wanted their child to be safe and sound. Her words would never help them.
“You’re not to be blamed. This isn’t Haiqing’s mistake, either.” Gu Nianzhi calmed down and raised her head slightly with a stern face. “It was because those people are heartless! They will definitely suffer at the hands of the law!”
When she said this, she remembered that the court had delayed giving a final judgment. It had already been two weeks, but they did not want to proceed with the hearing. Gu Nianzhi quickly said, “Don’t worry, I’ll push for them to start the hearing again soon.” She thought that Li Haiqing’s parents were here to ask her about the delayed hearing and to get her to push for the judgment.
What she did not expect was that Li Haiqing’s father would shake his head and say, “The culprit’s family is rich and influential. We can tell that. We’re already very thankful that Miss Gu is brave enough to not be afraid of them and stand up for Haiqing.” With that, the couple bowed again.
Gu Nianzhi was really feeling embarrassed by now. Taking a step back, she mumbled, “I’m going to feel even more guilty if you keep doing this.”
“Please don’t be mistaken, Miss Gu. We are really not here to push for anything.” Li Haiqing’s mother sighed. “Actually, we’re here to bid our farewell.”
“Farewell?” Gu Nianzhi was not expecting that. “Why? The case is still ongoing. Why are you leaving already?”
“We’ve been here for almost a month. Our jobs will be at stake if we don’t return soon,” Li Haiqing’s father said in a low voice. “Moreover, we don’t feel good using Minister Bai’s money. Therefore, we’ve booked tickets to return to the Hua Xia Empire on our own. The flight will depart tomorrow.”
Gu Nianzhi tried her best to make them stay, but the couple had made up their minds. However, they managed to let Gu Nianzhi convince them to sign an authorization form for her to file the civil case on their behalf. With this authorization, Gu Nianzhi would be able to file the civil lawsuit immediately.
The Munich Court wants to drag this case out and not give a final judgment? Fine. I shall give you something to do, then. Let’s go through the procedure for a civil compensation lawsuit. Gu Nianzhi saw Li Haiqing’s parents off and returned to her hotel room to start filing the lawsuit.
It was already midnight when He Zhichu returned to the hotel. He saw light coming from Gu Nianzhi’s room and was slightly taken aback. Knocking on her door, he asked, “You’re still awake, Nianzhi?”
Gu Nianzhi got up from her laptop and opened the door. “Professor He is back.”
“Yes. Why are you still awake, though?”
“I’m preparing to fight a civil compensation lawsuit.” Gu Nianzhi rubbed her eyes. “I’ll be done soon, and it’ll be sent to Professor He’s mailbox.”
“Civil lawsuit?” He Zhichu’s brows furrowed. “It’s too late. Let’s talk tomorrow.”
Gu Nianzhi’s eyelids felt as heavy as rocks. Covering her mouth, she stifled a yawn and nodded to He Zhichu before closing her door.
Finally, after another 30 minutes, she completed typing. Upon reading through and being satisfied with her work, she sent it to He Zhichu via email before turning in for the night.
When she woke up, she looked at her phone and saw some text messages from Li Haiqing’s parents. They thanked her profusely again and informed her that they would be boarding soon.
Gu Nianzhi looked at her watch and yelped. She realized that two hours had passed since they had sent the text. The flight would’ve taken off by now, so she wouldn’t be in time to send them off. It was okay, though. The things that Gu Nianzhi was going to do in their place were important and valid. They wouldn’t mind if she didn’t send them off because of this.
After spacing out for a while in bed, Gu Nianzhi slowly got up to wash up. When she was done, she looked at her phone. There were no replies from Professor He. She got dressed and went over to He Zhichu’s room and knocked.
He Zhichu opened the door. Upon seeing that she still looked half awake, he smiled the lightest smile. “You’re up? Had breakfast?”
Gu Nianzhi shook her head. “Have you read my email from last night, Professor He?”
“Looking now.” He Zhichu moved to the side and invited her into his room. “Come in.”
Gu Nianzhi entered his room and overheard He Zhichu order room service. They had grown tired of the Michelin restaurant they had been ordering their meals from. For variety, they had been looking around other at random restaurants. If they were too busy, they’d just order their meals from room service.
Gu Nianzhi did not have any appetite. She just wanted to fill her stomach. She sat on a seat across from He Zhichu. He Zhichu turned the laptop towards her and began, “You want to sue Niya, Seth, Seth’s parents, the Roslau district police station, and the government of Roslau?”
“Yes. That’s the only way to get the highest amount of compensation and the most influence.” Gu Nianzhi nodded and continued, “If I were to just sue Seth, it wouldn’t be much use.”
“You’re looking for a compensation of… ten billion Euros?” He Zhichu laughed. “You’ve got a big appetite…”
“If I cannot demand an exorbitant amount, then why should I sue them?” Gu Nianzhi raised her eyebrows. “Moreover, in Germany’s law, there are no limits to the amount of compensation I can ask for. Look at the reasons I indicated. Do you think I can convince the court to let me open the case?”
He Zhichu looked through slowly. Gu Nianzhi had explained the reasons for the high amount of compensation. She talked about how Li Haiqing’s parents lost a huge sum of money as they sent their daughter to Germany to further her studies. Now that she was murdered, it was equivalent to a failed investment. They needed financial assistance. Then she listed the emotional hurt the parents felt when they found out how Seth treated their daughter.
Finally, she emphasized on the last point that Seth’s parents had used their authority to manipulate the Roslau district police station into neglecting their duties and trying to cover up a murder. This action was unjust to the victim, Li Haiqing, and her parents. It had also been a most negative demonstration to the public. This was the most important point for Gu Nianzhi to win the case.
With the handling of the case being so corrupt within the law enforcement agency, the Roslau district police station broke the law, and the elected Roslau government attempted to deceive the public, thereby enraging the public. They only way to appease them was to give these two organizations a hefty punishment.
He Zhichu remained silent for a while before commenting, “This first clause that emphasizes the financial status of the victim’s parents, I think it would be better not to include it.”
“Why?” Gu Nianzhi did not understand that and crossed her arms. She could not forget the haggard and frail-looking couple, and their difficult financial situation. “Why can’t I add that in? Seth’s misconduct really brought the Li’s financial losses as well.”
“Nianzhi, the law is not a charity organization. If you were to emphasize the financial status of the Li’s, it won’t work. In fact, it’ll work in the opposite direction. They’d use this as an opportunity to accuse Li Haiqing’s parents of extortion.”
“What?” Gu Nianzhi truly had not thought about that.
Overseas cases were definitely tougher than local cases. No wonder companies tended to look for local law firms when they were required to fight for international lawsuits. That was because the culture in every country was different, leading to the difference in law and focal points of the mass public.
He Zhichu struck out the first point in Gu Nianzhi’s email and added a new reason for her. “Seth’s father, York, and his mother, Ramona, were both high-ranking officers in the police force. However, they hid critical evidence and caused a delay in solving the case. They were handling the case as officers, therefore, the Roslau district police station has to bear full responsibility for its staff.”
Gu Nianzhi moved closer to have a better look. In awe, she said, “Professor He, you’re really observant and think about things from all aspects.”
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