What's wrong with this lawyer?!

"What? Zhou Zhixing is suing the Public Security Bureau? Is that true?" Liang Pei looked at the Old Fan in front of him, very surprised.

"Mr. Liang, it's true. The Lincheng Intermediate Court has already sent a subpoena to the Public Security authorities, and they are preparing for their defense," Old Fan said confidently.

Liang Pei's face was filled with disbelief. At his age, he had always believed that officials were officials, and ordinary citizens were just that—ordinary citizens. He never imagined that a regular person would dare to engage in "the citizen suing the government."

Yet now, the unimaginable had happened.

Not only had Zhou Zhixing "sued the government," but he had also targeted the violent organs of the state, which were seen as very powerful in the eyes of ordinary people. It was simply unthinkable.

The first thought that crossed Liang Pei's mind was whether Zhou Zhixing had gone mad. Wasn't he afraid of being arrested again?

"When is the court hearing?"

"It seems to be in the morning, three days from now. Zhou Zhixing must have hired a lawyer."

Hired a lawyer? Are there really any lawyers in Lincheng with the guts to take on such a case?

Liang Pei knew quite a few lawyers in Lincheng and, based on his knowledge of them, he was convinced that no one would want to wade into these troubled waters.

So, had this person hired a lawyer from out of town? But then, how much money had he spent on this case? Was it worth it?

As time passed, the news of Zhou Zhixing's standoff with the Public Security Bureau spread swiftly through the residential community.

This made the neighbors very curious. They had never noticed Zhou Zhixing being so contentious before.

Shi Zhenfeng, another main member preparing for the Residents' Committee, was currently chatting with Zhou Zhixing.

"No offense, Zhixing, but isn't this unnecessary? You've been detained already. Even if you sue, what's that going to change?" Shi Zhenfeng asked.

"Besides, I've heard that the odds of losing administrative litigation are particularly high. If you lose, wouldn't the lawyer's fees be a total waste?"

Most people thought this lawsuit was pointless, like spending money simply to vent one's anger.

Hearing this, Zhou Zhixing replied with a smile, "Old Shi, I won't be wasting money. Trust me. The lawyer I've hired this time is quite extraordinary. With him on my side, there's no way I can lose."

Shi Zhenfeng frowned upon hearing this. His first reaction was to wonder if Zhou Zhixing had been deceived. After all, lawyers were the most deceitful of people.

But when he asked who the lawyer was, Zhou Zhixing wouldn't say. This left Shi Zhenfeng with no choice but to think that he would have to attend the hearing and see for himself.

Many neighbors shared Shi Zhenfeng's sentiment. They all remembered the incident when Zhou Zhixing sent those messages in their chat group and then got detained for ten days.

They were all eager to find out if Zhou Zhixing's defense of his rights would be effective.

The day of the court hearing finally arrived. Old Tang carried his briefcase, following behind Zhou Zhixing as they appeared at the entrance of the Lincheng Intermediate Court.

There was no need for him to appear in court, but he insisted on coming, saying that he wanted to see what the other side would have to say.

Old Tang naturally wouldn't reject this since he was the main point of attack, the kind that attracts animosity.

Upon entering the Lincheng Intermediate Court and locating the designated courtroom, they discovered that the gallery was already quite crowded!

"Hey, Old Shi, how come you're all here?" Zhou Zhixing was delighted to see the people in the gallery—all the neighbors who had helped prepare the Residents' Committee had come.

There were also some other neighbors who looked familiar, ones he had seen during door-to-door canvassing.

He had not expected them to all come for the hearing.

"You've created such a big scene. Although no one dares to get involved, providing support by showing up is no problem," Shi Zhenfeng said with a smile.

The other neighbors also expressed their support, and Zhou Zhixing wanted to say more, but the clerk had already asked them to take their seats.

He had to sit down in the plaintiff's seat, then noticed that Old Tang beside him was leisurely drinking water, and he hadn't even opened his large briefcase.

Zhou Zhixing wanted to ask about it, but felt it might be inappropriate, although he was a bit worried inside—was Lawyer Tang being a bit too casual...?

In the gallery, apart from the neighbors, there was also Old Fan from the property management company, sitting in the back with a mask on, mainly to find out how this case would be judged.

On the other side, Yu Niandong and Xiao Liu were already seated, organizing the materials on the table and occasionally looking across the room.

Their main interest was Tang Fangjing. They began feeling agitated as they watched him do nothing from start to finish, simply sitting there, drinking water every so often. His demeanor was not that of someone here to litigate—it was as if he was on vacation!

Even though he was a prominent lawyer known nationwide, this behavior clearly showed disrespect for their Legal Affairs Department.

They felt like voicing their concerns, but it didn't seem appropriate, so they refrained.

On Old Tang's part, it wasn't about showing off; it was just that there was no need to display anything. The evidence that needed to be submitted had already been submitted to the court, and the rest of the information was all in his head.

There was no need to perform normally like other cases; abnormal performance in this case would be enough for a win.

As they waited, the clerk came over to ask a couple of questions, and after Tang Fangjing explained the situation, the clerk had a complex expression on his face.

The judges of the collegial panel finally arrived, with the presiding judge being a middle-aged man who seemed amiable.

"Alright, the court is now in session. Please, plaintiff, present your statement," said the Judgment Chief, looking towards Tang Fangjing, only to see that there was nothing on the other side's table.

This circumstances caused even the seasoned Judgment Chief to be slightly taken aback, but he didn't say anything. Whether or not to present materials was the plaintiff's prerogative, but if you chose not to present them and ended up unable to articulate your case, it would be your problem.

Old Tang had already started presenting his statement, speaking at a moderate pace, which was just right for the clerk to record smoothly, and without a single hitch!