MWC – Chapter 84 Long-Arm Jurisdiction (Part 1)

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

When Wang Xiaohu arrived, Lu Ming was discussing the case of the Katsura Ayaka with his two apprentices.

Pu Xiuna was also sitting nearby, listening curiously.

“Xiaohu, are you alright?” Lu Ming noticed that Wang Xiaohu seemed unhappy.

“I’m fine. I just wanted to come and sit with you, Brother Lu.”

Lu Ming smiled, “Alright, then sit here and listen too!”

It was clear that Wang Xiaohu was not happy as a prosecutor. Coming from a poor family and being very frugal, he did not get along well with the other prosecutors.

“Xiaojia, you were doing well earlier, keep going!” Lu Ming said with a smile.

“Yes.” Tie Xiaojia, praised by her master, smiled even more sweetly.

“Master, restricting a widow from remarrying or having an affair as a condition for inheriting the estate violates the rights of imperial citizens. We can apply to the court to invalidate the will. As the only primary heir, Miss Katsura Ayaka can obtain all her husband’s inheritance.”

Lu Ming nodded and looked at Tong Xiao’e, “Your turn!”

Tong Xiao’e blushed, looking at the table, “The lord… lord’s law…”

Lu Ming nodded slightly, “Yes, the laws in the Kingdom of Yingzhou are different from ours. The lord’s law grants local lords significant legislative power. In Yingzhou, Kato Sanri’s will is valid.”

“But Kato Sanri lived in Donghai, and his assets are in Donghai. Although he is a Yingzhou citizen, he must also comply with our Donghai laws… right, Master?” Tie Xiaojia said, hesitating towards the end.

At that moment, the phone rang urgently.

It was Old Ghost calling, who had been helping Lu Ming investigate Kato Sanri’s assets. He discovered that all the money in his bank account had been transferred to banks in Yingzhou, and even his stocks and bonds had been sold to a Kato company based in Yingzhou.

Moreover, Kato Sanri’s real estate was also being listed for sale.

After hanging up, Lu Ming shook his head. The Bao Yin Bank case was too important for him, so he couldn’t immediately address Katsura Ayaka’s inheritance case or apply for a court order to freeze these assets. He didn’t know if the other party had gotten wind of it, but all the assets had been transferred back to Yingzhou.

“These bastards!” Tie Xiaojia’s face turned red with anger.

Lu Ming had intentionally let them hear the phone conversation.

Lu Ming smiled, “This afternoon, Old Ghost will bring a list of the people and companies handling these assets. Senior apprentice, help me write a complaint listing them all as defendants and request the court to freeze the transferred assets.”

Then he looked at Tie Xiaojia, “After your senior apprentice finishes writing, you and she will go to the court to submit the complaint.”

Intern lawyers are not allowed to conduct trials independently, but they can handle minor tasks like submitting documents and arranging bail.

Tie Xiaojia and Tong Xiao’e were stunned. Tie Xiaojia couldn’t hide her excitement and answered loudly, “Yes, Master!”

Tong Xiao’e, however, was worried. Would a judge support such an excessive request to freeze assets in Yingzhou? How should the complaint be written to convince the judge?

For a moment, she felt like crying.

Meanwhile, Lu Ming beckoned to Wang Xiaohu, “Xiaohu, come, let’s have a chat!”

…

In the quiet tea room.

Admiring the lush green scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Lu Ming smiled at Wang Xiaohu, “Feeling frustrated? What’s going on?”

Wang Xiaohu sighed, “Brother, it’s nothing really. I went back to my hometown recently, so I felt a bit down. I thought coming here might lift my spirits. I hope I didn’t interrupt you.”

Lu Ming waved his hand, “This is all important business. Your hometown is in Wangdian?”

Wang Xiaohu nodded.

Lu Ming smiled, “What’s going on there? Do you need me to file a lawsuit for you? Free of charge.”

Wang Xiaohu gave a bitter smile, “I wish it could be solved with a lawsuit!” He hesitated for a moment before saying, “Since I was little, every autumn, I would often see villagers who were injured while fishing. I grew up hearing stories about how hateful the people from Yingzhou were.”

“Now it’s autumn again. I went home to see my parents, but I saw injured villagers again. This year it was quite serious. I heard that many boats from Yingzhou came this year, not allowing our boats to get close.”

“Are there frequent conflicts between fishermen from Wangdian and those from Yingzhou?” Lu Ming gradually understood, looking at the empire’s map on the side.

In this world, the continents and coastal islands are completely different from the previous life. The archipelagos are near the mainland coast, and the far seas are unexplored.

The westernmost range of the Yingzhou archipelago is only about a hundred nautical miles from the northern coast. In this world, a nautical mile is roughly the same as a kilometer.

Usually, fishermen from the north and Yingzhou would use the midline as a boundary, not interfering with each other.

But it seemed disputes were still frequent.

Wang Xiaohu nodded, “Yes, in autumn, the area near Pearl Island has the richest fish. Both we and the fishermen from Yingzhou go there to fish. No one dares to go alone; we go in fleets. If you’re alone, your boat could be rammed and you’d never be found! The boats from Yingzhou don’t come alone either, but this year, they seem particularly prepared, with many more boats.”

Lu Ming was stunned, suddenly understanding why Elder Qing wanted him to run for the 49th District.

Regardless of right or wrong, the fishermen from Wangdian must be extremely resentful of the people from Yingzhou.

As long as he was involved in the lawsuit against Kato Masahichi from Yingzhou, as long as he didn’t lose the case, he would be welcomed in the 49th District.

He frowned slightly, “Pearl Island, it’s a small cluster of reefs, right? Wasn’t it given to many people by the Duke of the High Seas five hundred years ago?”

Wang Xiaohu nodded, “Yes, it’s in that area, almost near the midline. In autumn, a large number of autumn fish go there to spawn, so when you cast a net, the fish are densely packed…”

Lu Ming waved his hand, “In autumn, that area should be closed to fishing. Otherwise, it’s like draining the pond to get the fish.”

Wang Xiaohu gave a bitter smile, “It would be great to ban fishing. When the autumn fish mature, they swim back to our coastal area because this side has many bays and shallow waters, which is suitable for autumn fish.”

Lu Ming nodded.

Seeing Wang Xiaohu’s worried expression, Lu Ming thought for a moment, “Once I make some progress with the cases I’m handling, I’ll go to Wangdian to have a look. Maybe I can help a bit.”

Wang Xiaohu was stunned, then delighted, “Really?” Although unbelievable, from the first day he met his idol, his idol had never made empty promises!

Lu Ming smiled, “Alright, you go back to work now. Don’t worry about things at home all the time. Worrying won’t help!”

“Yes, I know!” Wang Xiaohu instantly regained his spirits and nodded repeatedly.

“Oh, it’s almost lunchtime. Stay and eat before you go!” Lu Ming glanced at the clock on the wall.

“No, thanks. My stomach isn’t used to such fine food. I can’t handle the rich dishes here.” Wang Xiaohu stuck out his tongue. Last time he ate here, the food was so refined he didn’t get full. After he got home, he had an upset stomach for days.

Lu Ming smiled, watching him leave. Pu Xiuna followed him to the porch to see him off.