MWC – Chapter 45 Make the Firm Greater!

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Li Mingxuan’s lawsuit was uneventful. Although Zhang Jingjing performed exceptionally well, the outcome was already determined. The jury attributed the continuous delays to the prosecution preparing new witnesses and evidence, which made them impatient. When no decisive new evidence emerged, the jury unanimously found the defendant, Li Haoran, not guilty on all three charges.

In fact, the legal community in Beiguan had long considered this case to be settled.

It did not affect Liu Hanming’s grand celebration at the Mingjia Hotel the following day, where he hosted a large banquet to celebrate his promotion to a Level Four Senior Lawyer.

Although Lu Ming received an invitation, he did not attend. The Li Mingxuan case had still impacted Liu Hanming’s reputation. Attending the celebration might seem inappropriate on such a joyful day. Liu Hanming’s invitation was a gesture of reconciliation and gratitude, but Lu Ming’s presence might lead to discussions about the case, making the host feel awkward.

Although Lu Ming did not attend, he sent a gift through Chen Qinghua and Jiji. In such a setting, they were insignificant figures, seated on the outskirts, and would not bring up the topic.

The day after Liu Hanming’s grand banquet, Lu Ming received a notification from the Beiguan Committee of the Donghai Bar Association, asking him to report to their office at three in the afternoon.

In a spacious room, three elderly gentlemen sat comfortably on a sofa, while Lu Ming sat on a wooden chair, feeling like he was being interviewed or observed as a rare animal.

These three seniors were highly respected figures in the Beiguan legal community: a retired judge, a chief prosecutor, and a senior lawyer.

They asked some questions, which Lu Ming answered properly, and then he was led to a small adjacent room.

After waiting for over an hour and drinking his third cup of coffee out of boredom, the door opened, and in walked a small but imposing figure, an old lady, Li Guan.

She sat down on the sofa next to Lu Ming. Her small frame sank into the sofa, looking quite comical, but Lu Ming dared not laugh.

“Congratulations, young man. You’re the first in Beiguan’s legal history to be promoted to a Level Two Lawyer in your first year of assessment!” Li Guan said, looking at him with a sideways glance.

Lu Ming was stunned. “What? How is that possible?”

He only had thirty points, and promotion to Level Two required 300 points. Even if he got 100 points from Li Mingxuan’s case the day before, it would count towards next year’s assessment.

“Take a look!” Li Guan handed him a form. “This year’s Level One evaluation was delayed by a day.”

It appeared to be a photocopy, wrinkled and showing his assessment points. Besides the points earned in court, there were additional points from the annual evaluation and other miscellaneous factors.

Lu Ming’s eyes widened in surprise.

Unexpectedly, he had earned 200 points for his performance in the Li Mingxuan case because Cao Guan had deemed his performance exceptionally outstanding and used a special privilege to double his points, though it did not affect Liu Hanming’s deduction of 100 points.

Additionally, he received over 70 points in the annual assessment, particularly from the Bess’s case, where the principle that unresolved settlement agreements should not be presented to the court or jury was praised by Li Guan as the “Child Protection” principle. This interpretation explained the origin of the case and likened these unresolved agreements to “children” that could not withstand storms.

The Empire, with its focus on case law, often had principles with elegant names.

Li Guan provided a clear analysis of this principle, which had already been cited by another local court in the Empire, significantly contributing to his high score.

Adding all these points, Lu Ming had over 300 points, totaling 305.14, qualifying him for promotion to Level Two Lawyer, or Intermediate Defense Lawyer.

“Thank you, Judge Li!” Lu Ming, stunned for a moment, quickly expressed his gratitude, knowing that Li Guan must have worked hard behind the scenes to delay the Level One assessment by a day, creating a time gap.

“You earned it!” Li Guan’s rare smile quickly turned serious. “Are you familiar with the Kato Masahichi case?”

Kato Masahichi? Lu Ming remembered it as the sensational case involving a Japanese noble family member accused of molesting and killing young boys.

“I have suggested to the prosecutor’s office in the new Donghai district to hire you as an external consultant. Be prepared.”

Lu Ming was stunned.

This sensational case might be transferred from the city court to the Ninth Circuit Court, the Beiguan Court, for trial due to the sole survivor’s Beiguan accent and the sensitivity of the case. The prosecutor’s office in the new district would remain unchanged.

Seeing Lu Ming’s expression, the old lady frowned, “What, you don’t want to? Don’t worry. My suggestion is just personal. They might not listen. Even if you join, you’ll only be an assistant. But I believe your involvement could bring something new to the case.”

Lu Ming smiled bitterly. No wonder Li Guan had gone to great lengths to promote him to Level Two in his first year. She wanted him to work hard on this case. External consultants usually handled sensitive and important cases, for which a Level One Lawyer would not qualify.

From a professional standpoint, Li Guan’s actions were not inappropriate. Both his weighted scores and evaluation could withstand scrutiny.

Hearing that he would only be an assistant if he joined the team, Lu Ming felt slightly relieved.

This case was vastly different from Li Mingxuan’s. It was too sensational. Although the North Four Provinces and this area were like two separate worlds, there were still knowledgeable people concerned with this situation. What if the mastermind or their aides also paid attention to Donghai’s “trending topics”?

“Li Guan, I’d love to participate, but I’m currently cramming on Western languages. You might not know, but I’m taking basic cultural courses at the Fernard Academy. I often skip classes due to being busy, so I’ve enrolled in a summer class for the Griffin language. I might not have much time…”

“Don’t worry. The trial date for this case is still uncertain and might be delayed until autumn. You’ll have enough time to focus on it. If you can’t participate, don’t be disappointed!” Li Guan stared at Lu Ming. “But if the prosecutor’s office in the new district sends you an invitation, regardless of the compensation, you must accept it. Understand?”

Lu Ming, helpless, nodded with a bitter smile, “Can I disagree?”

Li Guan nodded with satisfaction. “Young man, do you have a girlfriend? Should I introduce one to you?”

Lu Ming was speechless. Grandma Li, your thoughts jump too quickly.

“Haha, if you can participate in this case and perform well, how about I introduce you to a duchess?” Li Guan teased.

Lu Ming knew that in the Empire, the daughters of noble families were sometimes called duchesses by old-fashioned Zhongzhou people.

Hearing Li Guan’s words, he could only helplessly spread his hands, unsure how to respond.

Seeing Lu Ming’s awkwardness, Li Guan laughed even more happily.

…

Returning to the office from the committee, as soon as Lu Ming entered through the glass door, there was a pop. Wang Da’an had opened a champagne bottle.

“Congratulations, boss! Congratulations!” Chen Qinghua and Jiji, both dressed festively, joined in. Chen Qinghua wore a red suit, while Jiji wore a red dress.

The committee had posted the assessment report for Level One Lawyers and had called to inform the firm about the promotion.

“Thank you, thank you!” Lu Ming helplessly cupped his hands.

Wang Da’an sighed, seeing Lu Ming showing no excitement or joy. “Brother, do you really not know what a great miracle you’ve created?”

Lu Ming thought they were too influenced by Western rhetoric about greatness.

“Qinghua, find all the reports on the Japanese case for me. I’ll need them soon!” Lu Ming then turned to Jiji. “Any gossip about the Japanese case, write it down for me!”

Wang Da’an put down the champagne. “Are you trying to spoil the mood?”

“I can’t help it. I want our firm to be even greater!” Lu Ming smiled. Before entering his office, he remembered, “Jiji, don’t forget to pick up my student uniform from the laundry. I start summer school tomorrow.”