Chapter 4: Litigation Also Requires Social Acumen
The case of Wang Zizhong's son Wang Li had always been controversial, and after defeats in both the first instance and the second instance, the court's formal final ruling had not yet been issued.
Wang Li was still being held in detention at the detention center.
On the way to the detention center.
Passing by a convenience store, Su Bai asked Li Xuezhen to wait outside while he entered, and within less than two minutes he came out carrying two packs of Huazi cigarettes in his pocket. [Huazi cigarettes is a premium Chinese cigarette brand (Huazi / Zhonghua), widely associated with status, wealth, and official culture in China. Often used as a social or business gift.]
Li Xuezhen looked somewhat curiously as Su Bai placed the two packs of cigarettes into his inner pocket.
"Lawyer Su, do you smoke?"
Su Bai shook his head. "I do not smoke, but one cannot be without them, do you understand social acumen? You will understand shortly."
Li Xuezhen nodded thoughtfully.
After arriving outside the detention center, Su Bai adjusted his suit and did not enter immediately, but waited until he saw a robust man wearing law enforcement attire walk out of the detention center and move to a corner while searching in his pocket for something.
Su Bai stepped forward and handed him a lighter. "Brother, would you like to share one?"
As he spoke, he took out the Huazi cigarettes from his pocket, tore open the packaging, and skillfully shook out a cigarette.
The robust man paused for a moment. "Brother, your manner of offering cigarettes is quite practiced. Shall I take one?"
"Take one, take one."
Su Bai shook the cigarette box lightly.
The man smiled generously and accepted it, and after lighting the cigarette he took a deep breath. "These Huazi cigarettes are quite good. Brother, are you here to handle a case?"
"Yes, I am a lawyer here to investigate a case. I would like to apply to meet the suspect. The case is somewhat urgent, and the procedures here are somewhat slow, so I have to wait for the time being, and I came out to have a cigarette and get some fresh air."
The man suddenly slapped his thigh. "The procedures are slow, but you could simply have spoken to me. Since you have shared a cigarette with me, I will make sure this is handled for you today."
"Have you brought all the materials?"
"I have brought everything."
Su Bai waved his hand and asked Li Xuezhen to bring over the materials, and the robust man briefly reviewed them and nodded with a smile. "The materials are basically complete. Brother, please go and wait in the service hall."
"Thank you, brother."
Su Bai waved his hand.
"There is no need for thanks, we are all brothers."
After the man left, Li Xuezhen looked at this procedure with some astonishment.
Was this also possible?
"Lawyer Su, does this count as knowingly violating the law?"
Li Xuezhen.
This young woman still lacked understanding.
It seemed necessary to explain matters properly.
"What do you mean by knowingly violating the law? Your interpretation of legal issues is not accurate. Is there any exchange of interests? Have we failed to follow normal procedures? Every step follows the regulations, we have merely accelerated the process slightly, where is there any unlawful conduct?"
"Can you understand this point?"
Li Xuezhen nodded seriously. "I understand, Lawyer Su, is this what is called social acumen?"
Su Bai revealed an approving expression. Very good, she was teachable.
It was entirely normal for a university student newly entering internship practice not to understand such matters, she would gradually learn.
Litigation did not depend solely upon legal interpretation in court, because the process of a case was very complicated, and naturally it also required certain other skills, such as the social acumen demonstrated today.
Su Bai and Li Xuezhen waited in the detention center reception hall for approximately half an hour before a detention officer approached Su Bai, and this was not the same person as the earlier law enforcement officer.
"Are you Lawyer Su Bai from Baijun Law Firm?"
"Yes, I am."
Su Bai stood up as he spoke.
"Very well, your application has been approved. Please make some preparations. Shortly we will summon the criminal suspect."
"Very well, thank you."
Su Bai expressed his thanks politely, and soon Wang Li was summoned, and Su Bai brought Li Xuezhen into the interview room.
After the law enforcement personnel left, Su Bai spoke with a smile.
"Hello, I am Su Bai, the lawyer entrusted with handling your case."
Wang Zizhong and his wife had their only son Wang Li in their later years when they were already thirty eight years old, and now Wang Li was only in his early thirties.
Wang Li's mental condition was very poor.
After experiencing the first instance and the second instance, some fellow detainees in the detention center had explained a little legal knowledge to him, and Wang Li no longer held any hope of obtaining a reduced sentence.
He raised his head and looked at Su Bai, and there was no vitality in his eyes. "Hello, lawyer, do I still have any chance?"
The corner of Su Bai's mouth lifted slightly. "There is certainly a chance. I have already guaranteed to your parents that if the case cannot be won or your sentence cannot be reduced, I will not charge any legal fee."
Wang Li suddenly raised his head. "Really? You are not deceiving me? If the case cannot be won you will not charge any legal fee. Are you confident that you can win the case?"
Su Bai produced the signed entrustment agreement. "This concerns the settlement terms regarding legal fees in the entrustment contract. You may take a look." [Entrustment agreement is a formal contract in which one party authorizes another (such as a lawyer or agent) to act on their behalf in specified matters, defining the scope of authority, duties, and terms.]
Wang Li reviewed the entrustment contract and confirmed that if there was no victory and no sentence reduction there would indeed be no charge, but recalling what fellow detainees had told him, Wang Li again became dejected.
"Lawyer Su, I believe that you are not an unscrupulous lawyer, but you may find it difficult to obtain this legal fee."
"Since I have chosen to accept this case, I certainly have a certain degree of confidence. There is no problem with winning the case. I will simply ask whether you wish to obtain a reduced sentence and be released from prison. As long as you cooperate properly, the issue of sentence reduction will not be difficult, and the extent of the reduction mainly depends upon your own attitude."
The corner of Su Bai's mouth lifted slightly, and he possessed complete confidence regarding this case.
"I will cooperate, I will cooperate."
Seeing Su Bai's confidence, Wang Li nodded heavily, and a trace of hope was rekindled in his heart.
Su Bai indicated that Li Xuezhen should prepare to take notes and began to inquire about the details of the incident and the relevant responses given during the hearings at the first instance and the second instance.
Half an hour later, Su Bai walked out of the detention center with satisfaction, because everything he needed to confirm had already been confirmed.
It was time to prepare for litigation.
After returning to the law firm.
Su Bai briefly organized the materials for the hearing and called Li Xuezhen into the office.
The so called office was merely a small independent space partitioned within the firm using several pieces of cloth, and it did not even provide sound insulation.
"Notify the elderly couple Wang Zizhong and Zhang Cuifang to prepare to apply for final adjudication, and you should also prepare the materials for submission for final adjudication."
"Apply for final adjudication? That requires new evidence, Lawyer Su, what are our litigation claims?"
"I have already prepared the litigation evidence and claims, you only need to make the submission."
Su Bai handed the prepared materials to Li Xuezhen.
Li Xuezhen opened them and rubbed her eyes in uncertainty.
"Lawyer Su, would submitting materials like this be somewhat too forceful?"
"This case requires strong measures from the outset. Without strong measures it cannot succeed. Go and handle it."
Li Xuezhen walked out of the office with a bewildered expression and looked again at the application materials given to her by Su Bai, drew a deep breath, and confirmed one thing in her mind.
She had indeed come to the correct law firm.
If they truly succeeded in winning the case, then by following Su Bai she would also have taken her own first step toward establishing herself within the legal profession.