Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 526 Preparing for Court

For the next short distance, Nan Zhihao felt as if his feet were floating, and he didn't even know what he was thinking.

He simply followed Xia Tian forward until they reached a place that resembled a platform.

"Alright, it's easier to get a taxi here now. Mr. Nan, you can drop me off here."

Summer smiled brightly and waved to a taxi with a small green license plate on the side. The driver reacted quickly and turned around.

Nan Zhihao opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something; but his thoughts were so complicated that it seemed to block his whole body, including his brain and throat, and he couldn't make a sound for a moment.

When it comes to actually saying it, all that comes out are some repetitive, dry words of thanks.

Xia Tian's smile deepened upon hearing this. She understood the other person's current situation and, after apologizing again for her intrusion, got into her car and left.

"Om - hum -"

Before the car even started, the girl's phone vibrated.

Xia Tian glanced at the caller ID and calmed herself down.

After telling the driver her destination, she took a shallow breath and answered the phone in a cheerful voice: "Hello? Dad?"

"Tian Tian, ​​I heard from Lao Liu today that you resigned. What happened?"

Xia Yuefeng's voice came from the other end of the phone, his tone impatient: "Why did you change your mind again? At first you said you were only staying for the summer vacation, then you said you had to stay longer because of work, and now you're saying you're coming back early..."

The elderly father was clearly overwhelmed by his daughter's constantly changing schedule. The young girl was all alone in an unfamiliar city, and any slight disturbance would cause him to become extremely anxious.

Xia Tian listened quietly as her father finished speaking, and a slight smile curved her lips.

She said softly, "I miss you and Mom, so I want to go home."

There was no sound from the other end of the phone.

After a long silence, Xia Yuefeng asked hesitantly, "Weren't you bullied in Beidu?"

Xia Tian laughed out loud: "Dad, your daughter is so smart, and Uncle Liu is here too. Besides, we're in such a well-behaved place like Beidu. Who could bully me?"

The person on the other end of the phone said "Oh".

Indeed, Xia Yuefeng would occasionally communicate with his old colleagues about his daughter's situation. While he wouldn't say he knew everything about her, he could at least ensure that nothing unexpected had happened.

That was a momentary lapse in control of his emotions, and perhaps even a preemptive strike. After the Jiang Province capital's police chief regained his composure, Xia Yuefeng asked softly, "Didn't you say before that you were staying in Beidu to work on a case?"

It was as if they were trying to steer the conversation back to business, or as if they were putting aside their personal matters for now, planning to ask about them in detail when they met again.

"It's all because of this case..." Xia Tian's voice trailed off, revealing a melancholy beyond her years. "Back in school, I thought I was the best, capable of anything. But now that I'm actually working on this case, I realize there's so much more I need to learn..."

"That's why I want to go home. I want to get some more training under your guidance while there's still some time before school starts."

Xia Yuefeng seemed somewhat surprised by this answer. After a pause, his tone became drawn out: "Then you need to think it through. Working under your father might be even more difficult than working in Beidu."

“I know,” Xia Tian replied quickly.

After thinking for a moment, Xia Yuefeng asked again, "So you haven't finished following up on this case? Do you want to wait until there's a result before coming back?"

Xia Tian chuckled softly, a laugh filled with a richer, more indescribable emotion than her previous ones. "It's not over yet, but the outcome is already set in stone; there won't be any surprises."

The young girl looked out the window as she spoke, watching cars and people come and go.

But her gaze seemed to render all these complex objects into a background, and deep within her eyes, there was only that one figure.

……

"Zhu Ren, what are you looking at so intently?"

Upon hearing the question, Nan Zhuren looked up and turned off his phone screen.

"Well...it's a personal matter; I received some unexpected news..."

Bai Qinghua was very concerned about his young apprentice's mental state. It's worth noting that strong emotional fluctuations were rarely seen on this young man's face.

So Bai Qinghua pressed on, asking, "Good news?"

Nan Zhuren thought for a moment and shook his head: "It's hard to say right now... Don't worry, teacher, it won't interfere with today's work."

Bai Qinghua nodded, then called to Chonghui in the driver's seat: "Dahui, drive slowly, no rush."

"Alright!" Chonghui's already taut sleeves bulged even more, as if to demonstrate his reliability.

Today is the day of the court hearing.

Bai Qinghua, Nan Zhuren, and Chonghui's three-person team were on their way to the courthouse. Bai Qinghua was driving, and Chonghui was in the driver's seat as usual.

Taking into account road conditions, the three of them set off very early, giving them plenty of flexibility in their schedule.

As if he had just thought of something, Chonghui suddenly asked Nan Zhuren while waiting at a red light, "Speaking of which, hasn't Nan Zhihao contacted you yet?"

Although the names of visitors are concealed during case discussions within the group, Chonghui is an insider among insiders, and since they are currently working together on this project, he also knows the name of the visitor "Nan Zhihao," as well as some of his real-life information and circumstances.

Nan Zhuren nodded and said, "Yes."

Chonghui laughed and said, "So the verbatim transcript you submitted as evidence is also the version restricted by the confidentiality regulations? Was it prepared according to that standard today as well? Didn't you prepare another complete verbatim transcript as a backup?"

Nan Zhuren gave a strange look: "The visitor means to use only the restricted version, and I will definitely follow his wishes. The complete version is even less likely to be brought out; it's all stored as archives on the company's computers, and it's not on my personal electronic devices."

Perhaps because Chonghui's question was too amateurish, Bai Qinghua couldn't help but clear his throat: "Dahui, focus on driving."

"Oh, oh." Chonghui's arms immediately bulged again, and he became obedient.

But then he whispered, "I was just thinking, what if the visitor changes their mind at the last minute and has to submit something new at a crucial moment? After all, that's how it's always portrayed in TV dramas, it adds more dramatic tension..."

Attending a court hearing so closely for the first time made everything feel new and exciting for the big guy, and he couldn't help but have some exaggerated thoughts.

Bai Qinghua couldn't help but cough again, which finally calmed him down completely.

Because they were expert witnesses, the trio was immediately approached by staff upon arrival at the courthouse. They were then led to a designated waiting room by the staff.

Besides them, all the plaintiffs and their lawyers are also present at this trial.

(End of this chapter)