Chapter 55: The Justice Bureau''s Initiative |
Meanwhile.
Stepping out of the Justice Bureau''s hall and walking across the courtyard toward the main gate, Xu De suddenly paused. Sensing something, he stopped in his tracks.
The next second.
A transparent blue screen materialized out of thin air right in front of him.
[Congratulations on completing Criminal Trial x1]
[The client is extremely satisfied with your service. Satisfaction rate: 98%. You have received a very high rating!]
[''Lijia Village Case'' has been recorded.]
[Case Record:]
[(10 years, 120 calendar months, I have walked 1,000 kilometers, millions of steps, over four thousand days. This road was too long, so long that I grew numb, a walking corpse.)]
[(Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, desire, fear, shock... I tried to see past those hideous, exaggerated masks of flesh, searching for the bone physiognomy I hold in my memory.)]
This was...
The case was judged as completed?
A 98% satisfaction rate? Not 100%?
It made sense. After all, this case should never have happened in the first place. A 100% satisfaction rate would mean Wang Mei had never been abducted ten years ago!
Xu De hesitated for a moment. He came to a complete halt, lowered his head, and watched silently.
Prompt after prompt surfaced on the pale blue screen.
[Client satisfaction rate is 98%. Remuneration is now being distributed based on the satisfaction level...]
[Congratulations, you have acquired the Talent Skill: ''Bone Physiognomy'' lv1 (0/10)]
[Bone Physiognomy: When you look at a person, what you see before their flesh and skin are the bones they cannot hide! Perhaps, you can try using the most basic ability of bone age identification...]
[(Note: This talent can be improved through personal study!)]
[Congratulations, you have received Gratitude Coins x10]
(Current Status)
[Name: Xu De]
[Age: 25]
[Gratitude Coins: 10]
[Win Rate: 100%]
[Recorded Cases: ''Lijia Village Case'']
[Talent Skills: Chef lv2 (0/20), Bone Physiognomy lv1 (0/10)]
Xu De''s mind swam, a wave of dizziness washing over him as a mass of unfamiliar knowledge was forcibly crammed into his brain!
He frowned slightly, his breathing growing hot.
His brain began processing the obscure, difficult knowledge at a rapid pace, comprehending and absorbing it at an astonishing speed!
A long while later...
"Phew."
Xu De''s brow relaxed. His complexion gradually returned to normal, and his breathing steadied.
The interface had given him a bone physiognomy skill, but... this wasn''t an active skill like in a video game. It was pure knowledge!
Yes, he had been treated like a USB flash drive. Without his consent, the knowledge of bone physiognomy had been violently downloaded directly into his mind!
It was just that...
''This... if a person with poor brain development went through this, the shock of the knowledge might turn them straight into an idiot.''
Xu De took a deep breath, feeling a little overwhelmed.
It was too brutal, like being forced to completely split your attention in two, making you feel as if your very consciousness was being torn apart.
Seeing his state, the two people beside him couldn''t help but look worried.
"What''s wrong, Lawyer Xu? Are you feeling unwell?"
Xu De instinctively looked up, his eyes landing on Lin Yue first. But his current perspective...
It was as if he could see both her exterior body and her subcutaneous bone structure simultaneously, like a skeleton draped in flesh!
Startled, he blinked hard. The strange sensation vanished, returning his vision to normal, and he let out a breath of relief.
"I''m fine, just a little low blood sugar."
Xu De casually made an excuse to brush it off.
He had been exhausted all day yesterday. After rushing home and forcing down a couple of bites of food, he had fallen into a deep sleep, his body utterly drained.
He had slept straight through to this morning and had only eaten a single steamed bun to line his stomach. He was already famished.
Having made up their minds, the three of them prepared to walk out of the Justice Bureau.
However.
"Wait, wait!"
"Lawyer Xu, wait a moment!"
Just as he lifted his foot, barely taking a few steps, an urgent and anxious shout came from behind.
Xu De looked back, a hint of confusion on his face as he saw a middle-aged man rushing out from the hall.
The man wore a jacket and carried the aura of someone in a position of authority, though he was panting slightly right now.
"May I ask who you are..."
Xu De hesitated slightly, asking politely.
After catching his breath, Yang Guotao smiled and gestured for him to head back inside the Justice Bureau.
"I am Yang Guotao. You might not know me, Lawyer Xu, but we know each other now."
Xu De pondered for a second and instantly understood the man''s implication.
This person was likely one of the leaders of the Justice Bureau. He could guess the purpose of this meeting, so he simply complied and followed him back inside.
"I heard just now that you came to... submit materials to register a law firm?"
Back in the hall, feeling the cool air.
Yang Guotao turned to look at Xu De, discreetly sizing him up.
As someone from the Justice Bureau, he naturally dealt with lawyers all day long. He had seen countless young lawyers, but...
He had never seen a lawyer this young achieve the kind of results he did in Courtroom 15.
It wasn''t just rare; it was unprecedented. He had truly never seen anything like it!
"Yes, I am planning to register a local partnership law firm," Xu De said. "But... hasn''t everyone just gotten off work? I figured I would go grab a bite to eat first and submit it later. There''s still time."
"Ah, what''s all this about eating or not eating?"
Yang Guotao casually took his documents directly from him.
"Serving the people, right? How could we delay Lawyer Xu''s business? Lunch will just be a few minutes late, that''s all."
"Then I''ll have to trouble you, Brother Yang," Xu De smiled, smoothly taking the opportunity to establish a connection.
''Tsk, this kid...''
Yang Guotao wanted to laugh. The young man was certainly quick to climb the pole, closing the distance between them with a single sentence.
But that was fine.
Building a good relationship with a capable lawyer held no downsides for anyone!
"Lawyer Xu, are your... finances a bit tight?" Yang Guotao asked.
Hearing this, Xu De paused slightly and said, "They are a bit tight, yes."
He wasn''t short of money, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t play along.
The other party was clearly extending an olive branch of friendship, and he had no reason to push it away.
Most importantly, getting on the good side of the Justice Bureau... the benefits for him would be immeasurable!
Just as expected.
Yang Guotao pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then said:
"How about this."
"In recent years, Greenwood City has been discussing local policy support for university student entrepreneurship. We are preparing a pilot program this year, and the support is very strong. Regarding funding, there are a few interest-free loans available with generous repayment terms."
"I can coordinate this for you and try to get the highest possible quota."
"As for the Justice Bureau''s side... you won''t need to go through some of the unnecessary procedures... ahem, just understand what I mean."
"Greenwood City has added many new companies in recent years, and some of the more well-developed ones do not have dedicated legal departments... I can try asking around for you."
"The Legal Aid Office of the Justice Bureau can also respond to local policies and take care of you a bit..."
"..."
This was... securing funds and case sources all in one go!?
No, maybe not all in one go, but it would definitely alleviate his urgent needs!
Xu De wasn''t poor, but that didn''t mean he had cash on hand.
The money for the law firm came from Lin Yue''s personal pocket. She was a partner, sure, but he couldn''t just let her cover absolutely everything.
She was already putting up over a hundred thousand plus the rent for the firm. Asking for more... Lin Yue might not mind playing the God of Wealth, but Xu De didn''t have the face to take that money!
Or he could shamelessly ask Zhang Hu to ''give'' him some money, but at this stage, Zhang Hu wasn''t receiving any ''direct benefits,'' so spending that money would feel somewhat restrictive.
Therefore...
If the government provided him with ample funding, then transportation, office hardware, travel expenses, appraisals, postage, and material fees... all these headache-inducing costs could be resolved immediately!
After all, the law firm wouldn''t officially open for another month. He would have barely any income during that period, and by then, the buzz around the Lijia Village case might have died down... basically, it was troublesome.
Especially case sources.
Legal aid cases were a mixed bag. Who got the good ones depended entirely on the Justice Bureau...
Not to mention the hidden perks, like getting a ''green light'' in certain areas!
But what was the price?