Chapter 494: Lawyer Bao, is it? I've noted that

Ideal Law Firm is located inside an office building somewhere in Jingzhou.

Zou Sujuan pushed the door open and entered. Bao Yongning, who had already made an appointment, stepped forward to greet her: "You must be Ms. Zou. Come, come, sit here, sit here."

After Zou Sujuan sat down, Bao Yongning said: "We chatted online before, but the specific details of the case are unclear. Now, please tell me what exactly the situation is."

Zou Sujuan began to explain. In truth, she did not know much herself; she only knew that her son had taken a lighter and set fire to the doormat of a family in the unit next door.

"Was it out of revenge that he intentionally set the fire?" Bao Yongning asked with a frown.

This single question hit the key point. Arson must be intentional; of course, for those who have a duty of care, an omission can also potentially involve a crime.

But generally speaking, it must be intentional.

"It seems so," Zou Sujuan said after thinking for a moment.

"Then this matter is not easy to handle!" Bao Yongning shook his head and said: "The Public Security Bureau filing the case so quickly shows that they have solid evidence. Is there Monitoring at your doorway?"

Zou Sujuan naturally knew this, and she quickly nodded: "There is Monitoring."

"Then it is as I thought. There is Monitoring that captured your son's act of setting fire to the doormat, and there is a motive. This is truly difficult to handle. You should also know that Arson is a heinous crime, and even if your son is a minor, he must bear Criminal Case responsibility."

Hearing this, Zou Sujuan immediately became anxious: "Then what should I do, Lawyer Bao? I... I will pay whatever you want, as long as you can get my son out."

Hearing this, Bao Yongning smiled imperceptibly and said: "In that case, I will think of a way first, but let me state first that the possibility is not high."

A mature Lawyer is like this; they don't need to speak in absolutes. Even if they have a ninety percent chance of success, they will describe it as having a one percent chance.

The situation might not have been that serious originally, but when you encounter certain Lawyers, they will tell you that the situation is terrifyingly serious, and if you don't take measures immediately, the consequences will be truly dire!

In plain language, that is: Madam, you wouldn't want your husband to be sentenced to the Death Penalty, would you...

Exaggerating the case, charging you a relatively high fee, and appearing as if they are working very hard.

Even if they don't succeed in the end, it's because the case was too difficult, not because they didn't try hard enough.

The opposite of this is another approach. For example, if a seventeen-year-old minor commits murder and the father doesn't understand the law, he comes to beg the Lawyer, saying that he must not be sentenced to the Death Penalty.

An experienced Lawyer is a walking psychologist; with a little probing, they can know your thoughts and can appear to be in a very difficult position.

Then, after you beg and plead, they finally reluctantly agree, collecting a significant amount of money...

As for the case? There is no need to worry about the case; there is no Death Penalty for minors, so why worry about it?

You see, this is how they make money.

Of course, this kind of Lawyer is not yet a truly bad Lawyer. The mantra of a truly bad Lawyer is: winning a lawsuit is no skill; the real skill is daring to take on cases that are impossible to win, giving the client hope, and then, even if you lose the lawsuit, still being able to make the client satisfied!

Sometimes when you think about it, there really is a reason why some industries have such a foul reputation. If one wants to turn it around, one can only say the road ahead is long and arduous...

Since he had agreed, it was time to sign the contract and pay the money.

Once the formalities were completed, Bao Yongning began to apply; first, he had to see Jiang Zifeng.

Regarding Bail Pending Trial, Bao Yongning was still quite confident, as the suspect was a minor after all.

Two days later, inside the Guangming District Detention Center.

Minor offenders in the Detention House must also be detained separately from adult offenders.

Jiang Zifeng had adapted slightly after two days inside, but the feeling of losing his freedom was too painful.

And today, he was notified that he was to see his Lawyer, which truly excited him for a long time.

He wanted to get out quickly; he really didn't want to stay in here anymore.

Soon, Jiang Zifeng met Bao Yongning, and he was moved to tears.

Bao Yongning comforted him: "Alright, little Jiang, don't cry. Now, I ask and you answer. Remember, you must tell me everything you know, understand?"

Jiang Zifeng nodded vigorously: "No problem, Uncle Lawyer."

Bao Yongning began to inquire. The matter was very clear: Jiang Zifeng, with the intention of "scaring the other party a little," set fire to the doormat at their doorway, which caused the door to be scorched black and the Monitoring above to malfunction.

On the surface, it seemed like it was really nothing, but that is how Arson is.

Once everything was clarified, Bao Yongning said his goodbyes and left. Now he could confirm one thing: this Jiang Zifeng would definitely be held to Criminal Case responsibility.

This had nothing to do with whether the defense was brilliant; the Monitoring video was the most direct evidence, and even if one talked until flowers fell from the sky, it would be useless.

But there was still room to maneuver in the middle, and combined with his status as a minor, it would be easy to get a Suspended Sentence.

The records of crimes committed by minors are all sealed. According to the regulations of the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and the Ministry of Public Security, minor crimes with sentences under five years can still have a Non-criminal Record Certificate issued in the future.

Yes, you heard that right. If a minor commits a crime and later needs to provide a Non-criminal Record Certificate for job requirements, it can be issued, and it is the same as one issued to a normal person; there is no difference.

Because their criminal record is to be sealed, no one can query it.

Of course, legal provisions always have a "but." You certainly cannot pass mandatory queries like political vetting; the Law on Public Servants has clear provisions on this.

Therefore, it is necessary to find that victim and have a good talk with them.

"So, you want me to go find him and then ask him to help say it that way? That won't be easy, right?" Zou Sujuan said, a bit hesitant.

"Spending money will do. Your attitude must be very sincere; after all, your child is only that young, right?" Bao Yongning said.

His suggestion was for Zou Sujuan to go find that neighbor and have the other party clarify that Jiang Zifeng set fire to the doormat because they were making a bet.

Didn't they have an argument in the morning about whether it would cause a fire? If they said it that way, combined with his status as a minor, they could change intentional Arson to setting a fire because of a bet.

It was just that the other party had to cooperate well for this to work.

Zou Sujuan nodded. Now, as long as there was a way, she had to grasp it!

Time quickly reached the evening. Zhou Yi got off work and went home. Too lazy to go out to eat, he ordered takeout.

Just at this moment, there was a knock on the door.

He looked through the peephole; it was that Jiang Zifeng's mother. After thinking for a moment, Zhou Yi opened the door.

"Hello, you are Mr. Zhou, right? I am..."

Before Zou Sujuan could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Zhou Yi.

"I know who you are. What is it? Do you have something to ask of me?"

Zou Sujuan tried hard to maintain a smile and said: "Mr. Zhou, I know that my child did wrong, but he is still young after all. Now my husband and son have both met with trouble, so I can only come to beg you..."

"Look, I have prepared all the money I can move. Mr. Zhou, will you help me, please? Zifeng really knows he was wrong. I am apologizing for him..."

The attitude was very sincere, and she even displayed the appearance of a mother concerned for her child.

For Zhou Yi, whether or not to issue a Letter of Forgiveness depended on the other party's attitude; as long as the attitude was good, a Letter of Forgiveness or anything of the sort was no problem.

Zhou Yi then said, "A Letter of Forgiveness, right? Since you've put it that way, that's certainly no problem. It's not like I insist on anything, and as for the money, that's a separate matter."

He, Zhou Yi, would absolutely never discuss money privately for this kind of thing; if it were to be discussed, it had to be done in front of the Public Security Bureau, in front of the police.

However, after he finished speaking, Zhou Yi noticed that Zou Sujuan opposite him still had a troubled look on her face.

"Mr. Zhou, this... could you look at it this way? You tell the police that it was just you all making a bet..."

Zou Sujuan hesitated as she spoke the words of Bao Yongning; she knew that even with a Letter of Forgiveness, this would still result in a sentence.

Therefore, this was the only way to solve the problem!

Zhou Yi was stunned upon hearing this; what was the meaning of this?

"Mr. Zhou, I really have to ask for your help. Just help me say it, just say it once. He is only fifteen years old, Mr. Zhou, please do me a favor. It was your things that were burned, and since you've already said it's fine, then it must be fine," Zou Sujuan pleaded again, her attitude exceptionally good.

Zhou Yi fell silent; he felt there was a problem here, but he couldn't think of it for a moment.

"How about you wait a moment? I have a phone call here."

Zhou Yi pretended to make a call and went to the side, quickly dialing Lawyer Fang's number.

After explaining the situation, Lawyer Fang's roaring voice nearly shattered Zhou Yi's eardrums.

"Are you stupid? Isn't this clearly asking you to commit perjury? Do you think the judicial organs are your own home? You think you can just call the police when you want, and have them release people when you want?"

Zhou Yi suddenly realized the truth; no wonder he kept feeling something was wrong. He had been led into a trap; this was clearly asking him to commit perjury!

"Don't even talk about this matter. Let me tell you, as long as you agree, then regardless of success or failure, you won't be able to escape responsibility, you know that?"

Lawyer Fang explained it simply; if it failed, it went without saying, it would definitely be the Crime of Perjury.

But if it succeeded, that would mean the arson never happened, and he, Zhou Yi, would then be guilty of the Crime of False Accusation.

Hanging up the phone, Zhou Yi returned to the doorway and said directly, "I can't help you with this favor. I don't know where you got this method, but I'm telling you, if you do this, I might not even give you the Letter of Forgiveness anymore."

Zou Sujuan was shocked and pale upon hearing this, hurriedly saying, "No, why, Mr. Zhou? Aren't you the victim? You already said it was fine, so it should be fine."

Zhou Yi said, "You should just go back. In any case, I definitely cannot agree to this. Victim? A victim who commits perjury also goes to jail!"

And sometimes, it might even be a longer sentence than the other party's...

The Procuratorate does not protect the interests of you, the victim; they initiate a Public Prosecution to maintain public order!

After finishing, Zhou Yi closed the door. To come up with such an idea—did they think he was an idiot?

Outside the door, Zou Sujuan hurriedly dialed Bao Yongning's number.

On the other end, Bao Yongning was also a bit surprised upon hearing this and said, "The other party really said that? Then it's not easy to handle. For now, we can only ask for the Letter of Forgiveness and try for Bail Pending Trial."

"It feels like the other party is very knowledgeable about the law. What was that person's name again? Zhou Yi... wait, it wouldn't be *that* Zhou Yi, would it?"

Bao Yongning suddenly thought of the urban legend circulating in the Jingzhou legal circles, and felt his legs start to tremble...

It is said that lawyers who have been hostile to that Zhou Yi have either been recruited into the legal department of Tengda, or have had their licenses revoked and lost their confidence in being lawyers.

And there were some exceptions who went straight to prison...

Looking at the current situation, it really is possible!

Then if it really is that Zhou Yi, there's no need to think of any other paths; just properly admit the mistake, accept the punishment, and be honest for leniency.

With a Letter of Forgiveness, and being a minor, it should definitely result in a lighter sentence...

"What's wrong, Lawyer Bao? Is there a problem with this Zhou Yi?"

It was Zou Sujuan on the other end who heard Bao Yongning's muttering and asked.

"Ah, nothing, nothing. Now we can only try to find a way to get a lighter sentence, or perhaps a Suspended Sentence. You know what a Suspended Sentence is, Ms. Zou, it means you don't have to go to jail..."

Look at that; this is the way certain lawyers speak.

Is there a problem with that? Of course there isn't; a Suspended Sentence means not going to jail, although juvenile offenders also go to juvenile detention centers...

Sure enough, Zou Sujuan on the other end became interested again upon hearing "no need to go to jail," just like the saying goes: as long as you don't go to jail, anything is fine.

The subsequent matters went very smoothly; after receiving compensation, Zhou Yi quickly issued the Letter of Forgiveness.

However, he also learned from Zou Sujuan that the previous idea had been suggested by a lawyer named Bao Yongning.

Very well, Lawyer Bao, I have remembered you.

After issuing the Letter of Forgiveness, Zhou Yi didn't pay much more attention to it; in any case, it wasn't a problem for him at all. However, after this, Zhou Yi prepared to return to the Yuefu Residential Quarter to live for a while.

It is always best to be cautious in all things.

As for the video... he didn't plan to film a video for this case; juvenile crime, even if turned into a Stick Figure Animation, is not easy to handle because it is truly sensitive.

The house in the Yuefu Residential Quarter was cleaned by hired help every month, and it was the same as always.

When he came in, he ran into Liu Nainai; the old lady was still in very good health and was very happy to see Zhou Yi.

News came from Liu Kang that Peng Shiwen did not agree to the Mediation, so he had already been sentenced to six months of Fixed-term Imprisonment in accordance with the law.

This young man did a good job; he completed everything from the Lawsuit to the court hearing by himself, and could be considered a true member of Tengda.

Life returned to peace once again; because Jiang Zifeng was a minor and had a Letter of Forgiveness, he was sentenced to one year of Fixed-term Imprisonment with a two-year Suspended Sentence.

The starting sentence was three years, but it ended up being one year; this is called a mitigated punishment in law, as both being a minor and having a Letter of Forgiveness can lead to a mitigated punishment.

Having sent so many people to prison in a row, Zhou Mouren felt it would be better for him to lay low for a while.

When one holds a hammer too much, one wants to hammer everyone they see; this kind of thinking is actually not good.

And what Zhou Yi needed to do was to rest and recuperate at home for a while.

However, he hadn't been resting for more than a few days when Zhou Xinran called.

"What? Pretend to be your boyfriend and go back to your home for the National Day holiday this year? That's too cliché..." Zhou Yi complained immediately upon hearing the voice on the phone.

After all, based on his experience of reading countless novels, in those plots, people always end up making it real after pretending.

It's not that Zhou Cainiao isn't good-looking... it's mainly that he felt she had always been a target of his teasing, and suddenly having to turn into a romantic partner was a bit hard to accept.

"At most, I'll help you when you go home for the New Year this year..."

"Deal!"

This case wasn't written well; the transition was very stiff, and expanding on it further would have been even stiffer, so in the middle of this night, after revising it many times, I still decided to just breeze through this case... My apologies, my apologies, it's 3:30, I have to work at 9:00 tomorrow, sigh.

Without chapter comments, I feel especially uncomfortable.

(End of chapter)