MWC – Chapter 174 Legal Authority and Rules

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

The Niusika Grand Hotel is a twelve-story historic building that once stood as one of the most luxurious five-star hotels in Donghai. Even now, its service and facilities remain top-notch. The clock-tower-like architecture exudes traditional grandeur, and as an established brand, it is regarded by the seasoned wealthy of Donghai as a choice hotel for the truly discerning. Its rates are accordingly steep.

The top floor hosts two elite suites, each occupying half a level. Lu Ming had booked both suites entirely, along with the business meeting room between them, which could accommodate dozens of people. This space was now exclusively his.

At the moment, a negotiation was underway in the meeting room, with both parties seated across an oval conference table.

On one side sat Lu Ming, his three disciples, and his administrative officer, Bi Xiaoting.

Opposing them were only two individuals: Morgan, a lawyer representing Jin Taiping Insurance Company from the Reid Law Firm, and Silva, a private lawyer representing Zheng Zhongshi, who hailed from the prestigious Johnson-Smith-Stewart Law Firm.

Jin Taiping Insurance Company was one of the largest insurers in Donghai and the empire at large, with all its legal affairs entrusted to Reid Law Firm. Conversely, Zheng Zhongshi, for matters involving commercial insurance disputes, opted for external representation, which is why Silva was present.

In such cases, the interests of Zheng Zhongshi and Jin Taiping Insurance Company were naturally not fully aligned.

At this moment, Silva wore a genial smile as he outlined his client’s stance. “Mr. Lu Qianxing, all matters related to incidents or damages involving horses entrusted to my client’s care for training are handled by Jin Taiping Insurance Company. Therefore, this dispute has nothing to do with my client.”

Morgan then presented Jin Taiping Insurance Company’s position: they would dispatch an independent investigator to look into the matter and review the contract terms between the horse owner and the stable. If it was determined that the stable was at fault and liable under the contract, the company would then negotiate compensation. Until then, Jin Taiping Insurance Company would not commit to anything.

Listening to the opposition’s arguments, Lu Ming’s three disciples exchanged uneasy glances. The case was indeed challenging.

Notably, the late Mr. Renault hadn’t paid much attention to formalities. The agreement he signed was an ordinary contract, with no mention of the additional expenses he provided for the horse’s care. However, if he were alive, the stable wouldn’t have dared to act carelessly.

The standard contract with the stable was, in essence, a bit of a “take-it-or-leave-it” deal. Based on its terms, seeking compensation for what happened to Little Jenny’s horse seemed unlikely.

Even if their master, Lu Ming, managed to overturn the unfair terms, the compensation would still come from the insurance company, leaving Zheng Zhongshi untouched.

Their master, however, had always been one to settle scores. He wouldn’t let Zheng Zhongshi off easily, though this case seemed to offer no openings for retaliation.

Silva and Morgan then stood, with Morgan saying earnestly, “Mr. Lu, we’ll soon assign an independent investigator to this case. We hope the horse owner you represent will provide truthful and complete information.”

Silva smiled lightly and added, “Mr. Lu, there won’t be a need for me to attend the next negotiation, will there?”

Lu Ming responded with a calm smile, gesturing for them to be escorted out.

As the two overconfident lawyers left, Lu Ming glanced at his three disciples, who wore troubled expressions. With a smile, he said, “Come on, let’s go meet a witness.”

Lu Ming led his disciples to a small break room next door. Inside, a young man with a tattoo on his neck nervously smoked, the air thick with haze. Tong Xiaoe quickly moved to switch on the exhaust fan.

Lu Ming dragged a chair noisily across the floor and sat directly in front of the young man, startling him into looking up suddenly.

“What have you decided?” Lu Ming asked with a smile.

The young man hesitated but eventually nodded. “Alright. I’m willing to testify. It was Zheng Zhongshi who instructed us to deceive the officer—and lure her up the mountain.”

Lu Ming nodded and pointed at the young man. “This is Liu Xiaodao, nicknamed ‘Blade.’ He’s one of the four people involved in deceiving Officer Bi Xiaoting and taking her up Little Huashan Mountain.”

He turned to his disciples. “What’s your understanding of the legal framework for unlawful detention?”

“It must meet four criteria…” Tie Xiaojia and Chen Qinghua began simultaneously, only to glare at each other afterward.

Lu Ming chuckled. “One at a time. Xiaoe, you go first.”

The other two exchanged heated glances again, both feeling robbed of the chance to shine in front of their master.

Tong Xiaoe spoke deliberately, “The first criterion is unlawfulness. The act of restricting another’s freedom must be prohibited by law. For example, a doctor restraining a patient for treatment wouldn’t qualify as unlawful detention.”

Lu Ming nodded and gestured to Tie Xiaojia, who added, “The second criterion is intentionality. In simple terms, it’s the deliberate restriction of someone’s freedom. For instance, if I unknowingly locked someone in a room, it wouldn’t count as unlawful detention.”

He then turned to Chen Qinghua.

“The third is that the victim’s right to personal movement must be violated. This can manifest in two forms: forcing the victim to remain in a location they do not wish to stay or forcing them to go somewhere they do not wish to go.”

Lu Ming nodded again. “The fourth criterion involves the act of restricting freedom, such as using violence or the threat of violence.”

“Master, in this case…” Tie Xiaojia hesitated but glanced cautiously at the “witness.”

Lu Ming smiled. “Go ahead. Speak freely.”

Tie Xiaojia nodded. “In this case, they used deception to lure Officer Bi Xiaoting to Little Huashan. There was no force involved, nor did they intimidate her with violence. While on the mountain, they verbally insulted her and demanded an apology letter but didn’t explicitly state she had to stay there. Legally, their lawyer could argue that Officer Bi Xiaoting was entirely free to leave and would not have been stopped.”

Lu Ming smiled. “Exactly. They never explicitly said, ‘If you leave, we’ll break your leg.’”

Tie Xiaojia glanced nervously at his master’s expression. “Master, I—”

“You’re correct,” Lu Ming said thoughtfully. “However, Little Huashan is remote and difficult to leave on foot. Moreover, the atmosphere of intimidation they created would likely lead Officer Bi Xiaoting to believe she would be attacked if she tried to leave. Psychological coercion is also a form of intimidation. The fourth criterion for unlawful detention should evolve and be clarified further. A new precedent is needed to establish this.”

“Consider this: if someone lures you to a desolate mountainside, insults you, and coerces you into actions without explicitly barring your exit, can we truly claim you were free to leave? Does that make sense?”

“I believe the judge and jury would agree with my perspective.”

Tie Xiaojia’s eyes lit up. Indeed, their master was always pushing boundaries, refining legal principles. Whether it was the “Child Protection Principle” or the “Neighbor Principle” in economic disputes, their master had always been a trailblazer.

“This is another lesson for you,” Lu Ming added, “to think beyond existing legal frameworks and precedents.”

He paused and asked, “Now, what constitutes the crime of kidnapping? Xiaoe, you start.”

Tong Xiaoe answered without hesitation, “Kidnapping involves unlawfully taking someone from their residence or place of work, detaining them in a location equivalent to imprisonment, or confining them in isolation for an extended period. Furthermore, if unlawful detention is conducted secretly, it constitutes kidnapping.”

Lu Ming smiled knowingly. “Exactly.”

Lu Ming nodded. “Officer Bi Xiaoting was deceived into going to the mountain. In reality, the location on the mountain wasn’t where Officer Bi Xiaoting intended to go. She was misled into thinking she could meet someone she wanted to see there. Thus, this kind of deception is essentially no different from coercion through violence. In terms of recognizing it as kidnapping, it’s no different from her being forcibly taken to that location. Moreover, it was done in secrecy, and none of Officer Bi Xiaoting’s friends knew about it until her release.”

“The duration of the event also lasted several hours.”

“Therefore, I believe this case constitutes ordinary kidnapping. Zheng Zhongshi is the principal instigator and the main offender, while the four executors are accomplices. Of course, one of them is now our whistleblower.”

The three disciples were taken aback. Ordinary unlawful detention is a minor offense, but ordinary kidnapping—or second-degree kidnapping—is a serious crime. Sentences for such crimes typically start at five years or more.

However, their master’s analysis was indeed convincing and aligned with public perception. This significantly increased the likelihood of gaining the judge’s and jury’s support to establish a new precedent refining the criteria for kidnapping.

Lu Ming smirked inwardly. This reflects the future trend of the Donghai legal system. In the future, in such cases, unless the opposing lawyer performs exceptionally well, kidnapping charges will have a strong chance of being established.

This demonstrates maximum respect for personal freedom.

In fact, in the society of his previous life, some actions were considered malicious or even terrifying but didn’t necessarily violate the law. From a certain perspective, this could be seen as a deficiency in the law.

The law, as a means to uphold social order, should be people-oriented. When actions widely perceived as frightening or horrifying by society aren’t illegal, something is undoubtedly amiss.

“All right, you three, think about how to draft the complaint. We’ll file the lawsuit under private names.”

The three disciples nodded. They understood their master’s reasoning. After all, no precedent had yet classified such cases as kidnapping.

Additionally, the matter involved their master’s Fifteenth Lady. Thus, he naturally wouldn’t use the official office’s name to file the lawsuit.

_{He already has 14 ladies, Huh?}

Although criminal cases are typically prosecuted by public prosecutors, if the prosecutor refuses to press charges, private individuals can now file lawsuits as well.

As long as the grand jury deems the case legitimate and suitable for trial, it will enter the court proceedings to determine whether it is valid.

“All right, get to work! Let’s corroborate the testimony with our whistleblower,” Lu Ming said with a faint smile before turning to leave.

The disciples looked at the trembling “whistleblower” with helpless expressions. Evidently, their master had made the stakes clear: if he didn’t tell the truth and reveal the facts, he would end up in prison himself.

Moreover, their master’s eloquence likely scared the poor fellow out of his wits.

“Xiaodao, let’s go!” Chen Qinghua said.

“Ah, ah, where to?” The young man was startled. His neck tattoo was quite intimidating, indicating he was usually a tough guy. But now, he looked utterly defeated, like a wilting eggplant.

If this had been last year, Chen Qinghua would have avoided such a thug on the street.

Now, however, he only found him pitiable. Chen Qinghua sighed. “To a room where we can talk properly.”

“Oh, oh, okay…” The young man quickly stood up and followed them.

…

Seated on a sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, Lu Ming watched the setting sun transform into a reddish sphere. He took a sip of tea. The hotel, though aged, offered top-notch facilities and services. Even the slightly green-hued tea left a lingering fragrance, quite delightful.

Additionally, the hotel’s location was excellent. Situated on a promontory along the coastline, its westward view was expansive, allowing guests to enjoy the sight of the sun setting into the sea.

The sound of running water from the bathroom gradually ceased.

A delighted exclamation followed, as Jennifer emerged, using a white towel to dry her damp chocolate-colored hair. Upon seeing Lu Ming, she was instantly overjoyed.

“Spent another day with little Jennifer, huh?” Lu Ming smiled. “She’s feeling much better now, isn’t she?”

“Mm!” Jennifer nodded happily and walked over to sit on the sofa opposite him. She was dressed in a white lace pajama set. Despite her recent bath and the fact that she’d soon change clothes for dinner, she still wore lace socks on her dainty feet. From head to toe, this noble little beauty exuded an exceptionally pure and pristine aura that made one’s heart tremble.

“Sir, are you in a good mood today?” Jennifer cautiously asked. Opportunities to chat with her husband were rare, and she was afraid of saying something wrong.

Lu Ming chuckled. “You little girl can even tell? Seems my composure isn’t quite there yet.”

This case could further elevate his standing in the legal world.

Though he had won virtually all his cases since arriving in Donghai, his young age and lack of experience caused others to view him as uncanny rather than a respected legal authority. Fellow lawyers feared him but didn’t necessarily respect him.

Take Morgan and Silva, both Level Four senior lawyers. Whenever they thought they had a chance to mock him, they wouldn’t let it pass.

However, if he continued winning more seemingly impossible cases and used them to refine the empire’s legal standards, their fear and awe would eventually transform into respect and admiration. At that point, his position in the field would feel fundamentally different.

Becoming a legal authority had been a dream in his previous life. Now, it was one of his smaller goals.

Lu Ming chuckled at himself.

“Sir, will you be staying here tonight? Are we sleeping in the same room?” Jennifer suddenly asked, her face curious. But that didn’t seem like something her character would normally ask.

Oh, Lu Ming shook his head. She probably hadn’t received any pre-marital education. After old Reno’s sudden passing and her brother and sister-in-law’s struggles, nobody had paid attention to such matters.

Clearing his throat, Lu Ming found it amusing but maintained a neutral expression. “Both of us in one room? How would we sleep?”

Jennifer appeared to ponder seriously. “Then, I wouldn’t be able to cuddle my doll while sleeping. You’d have to cuddle me, wouldn’t you?” Her voice became smaller toward the end, her face tinged with shyness.

Lu Ming was at a loss but looked at her—a pure and lovely aristocratic girl, her figure slightly developed, a budding beauty. Her innocent demeanor, combined with her childlike innocence, gave her the air of an angel.

Yet, it also stirred certain unusual feelings.

_Pervert

Lu Ming turned his gaze to the scenery outside the window and smiled. “The sunset is quite beautiful…” The reddish disk had almost completely disappeared, leaving only a faint afterglow. The light rippled across the sea’s surface like a gorgeous painting.

“Mm! If we lazed around in bed all day and you hugged me to watch, that would be perfect…” Jennifer trailed off, suddenly realizing her slip of the tongue. She peeked at Lu Ming nervously. “I used to get up at five and sleep at eight every day. Now, even though you don’t mind, I rarely sleep in…”

Lu Ming found it amusing but, looking at this angelic girl dressed in white lace pajamas with her lace-covered feet, his heart raced uncontrollably. A ridiculous thought popped into his mind: What if he did hold her in bed?

The soft bed near the floor-to-ceiling window would surely be a luxurious experience. Especially with the endless blue ocean outside and this obedient angelic girl—his Fifteenth Lady?

Moreover, she would listen to him. If he asked her to keep it a secret, no one would ever know.

Neither Bizhu nor Pamela would find out.

Thus, Bizhu wouldn’t learn that he had broken her so-called rules.

Pamela wouldn’t get jealous.

Lu Ming quickly shook his head and slapped his forehead. Ugh, he was becoming desperate. What was he even thinking?

It was only six more months. Bizhu’s advice must be heeded—don’t lose sight of the bigger picture.

Standing up and clearing his throat, he said, “Get ready. We’re going out for dinner! Tonight, we’ll sleep in separate rooms. You can cuddle your doll…” With that, he couldn’t help but laugh and, without waiting for her response, briskly walked away.