Me! A disgraced celebrity! Starting by seeking justice for impoverished students.

The following morning.

Kyoto, Junhe Law Firm, high-rise office area.

Lu Cheng pushed open the glass door and strode inside, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water.

Compared to his usual self, his charcoal blue suit was wrinkled at the edges, his tie was loosely pulled up to his collar, and his eyes were full of suppressed irritability.

After losing the first trial, he lost his former composure.

They even lost the will to maintain their appearance.

In the past, he always exuded an aura of elite wherever he went, but now his entire being seemed to scream "don't mess with me".

no way……

The loss in the first instance of this case dealt him a significant blow.

Several colleagues who were chatting in the break room glanced at him, exchanged glances, and sensed that something was wrong.

"Oh, Attorney Lu is back?"

Zhang Kai, who works in mergers and acquisitions, leaned against the wall with a coffee cup in his hand, laughing and joking.

"I glanced at the first trial result on the live stream. That young lawyer on the other side was pretty tough. He managed to push you to the point of losing your temper in court. He's quite a character."

Another lawyer standing nearby chuckled, "That's right. Our Brother Lu has been in the business for over a decade, a veritable undefeated general, but he's suffered a minor setback today."

We've been colleagues for many years, so the jokes were just jokes and there was no malice intended.

But these words sounded particularly harsh to Lu Cheng.

He frowned, slammed the file onto the conference table, and spoke in a harsh tone.

"Loss? Not at all."

"The panel of judges in the first instance was too influenced by public opinion and sentiment, and there were obvious deviations in the determination of facts and the acceptance of evidence, which allowed the other party to gain an advantage."

"In criminal cases, the final judgment matters. Winning in the first instance doesn't mean you've truly won; overturning the verdict in the second instance is the real skill!"

Zhang Kai raised an eyebrow and stopped joking.

He had worked with Lu Cheng on many major cases and knew the man's temperament well.

They always put on a tough front, but deep down they're definitely aware that things are getting tough.

Sure enough, the next second...

Lu Cheng glanced at everyone, his tone becoming more serious.

"Don't just sit there, put aside your cases for now and come over to discuss the second trial plan together."

"This case is being watched by the entire internet. If we lose again in the second instance, Junhe will truly have no face to display its brand!"

After he finished speaking, the expressions of the group became more serious.

The reputation of a top-tier law firm is far more important than the legal fees for a single case.

They are one of the top eight law firms, and if they suffer a major defeat in this kind of case, it will damage the firm's image.

Li Wen, who hadn't said a word, walked over carrying her notebook.

She adjusted her glasses and spoke objectively.

"Lu Cheng, to be honest, you really deserved to lose."

"I watched all of Jiang Chen's previous court hearings. His logic is very solid, and he is very accurate in finding loopholes. He is not some internet celebrity lawyer who relies on hype at all."

"They really have real skills! If you try to use the same three-dimensional analysis you use on ordinary lawyers, you're bound to fail."

"I know he's got something going for him." Lu Cheng pursed his lips. "That's why I called for everyone to come at him together."

"I might not be able to win alone, but when our entire commercial criminal team works together to scrutinize the details, I refuse to believe we can't find a breakthrough!"

Lu Cheng was genuinely feeling that this was a tricky situation.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have sought help from the team.

The group nodded and sat down around the conference table.

They are all senior lawyers who have worked in top law firms for many years.

They are all experts at scrutinizing rules and finding flaws.

Even in an ordinary rape case, as long as the team gets involved and works hard, they can always find something to fight over in terms of procedures, evidence, and sentencing!

Let me explain my thought process first.

Zhang Kai was the first to speak, reaching out to take the file.

"We'll focus on the program flaws."

"The court of first instance's determination of the validity of the letter of understanding was too subjective. The claim that 'formal voluntariness does not equal substantive voluntariness' has no clear legal basis whatsoever."

"We only need to insist on one point: the victim was a person with full civil capacity, the signature and fingerprint were genuine and valid, there was no evidence of violence or coercion, and documentary evidence takes precedence!"

"This is the most crucial turning point."

Upon hearing this, everyone else nodded in agreement.

"I'd like to add some information about the sentencing direction."

Another lawyer specializing in criminal appeals took over the conversation.

"The first instance trial sentenced him to 23 years, 15 years for rape, and 8 years for obstructing testimony. He was sentenced to the maximum penalty for all the crimes."

"This sentence is clearly too harsh compared to similar cases, entirely influenced by public opinion and the defendant's identity!"

"Our main argument is that the sentence is excessively harsh. We demand a reduction in the sentence. Even if the charge can't be changed, we have to get the sentence reduced; that's not a loss!"

Even if we can't exonerate the defendant, as long as we can reduce his sentence as much as possible, it's still a victory.

"Even if the facts are established, it can still be used to fight."

Li Wen flipped through the first-instance trial records, speaking very quickly.

"The allegations of being forced to drink alcohol and losing sexual autonomy are all unilateral statements and circumstantial evidence made by the plaintiff."

"The surveillance footage can only prove that the person was intoxicated, not that they were completely unconscious, and the injuries cannot definitively prove that the incident was caused by sexual assault."

"The fact that reasonable doubt has not been ruled out is enough to make a fuss."

When a group of experienced lawyers work together, they can often find more flaws.

"I have another option."

The oldest lawyer, Wang, slowly added.

"The entire first instance trial was broadcast live, and the plaintiff's lawyer brought his own audience. We can argue that public opinion influenced the neutrality of the trial and that the procedural fairness is questionable, and strive to have the case remanded for retrial."

Even if the verdict cannot be overturned, slowing down the process can give the parties involved room for negotiation.

In just a few minutes, as you and I discussed, several key points for the second trial were clearly outlined.

Lu Cheng's tense expression finally relaxed considerably.

In a one-on-one fight, he might not be confident of overwhelming Jiang Chen.

But the entire team went to the rescue, scrutinizing every procedural loophole, evidentiary flaw, and sentencing standard. They were determined to overturn the verdict in the second instance!

Even if they can't be exonerated, reducing the sentence significantly would at least save face for Junhe.

"Okay, let's go in these four directions."

Lu Cheng raised his hand and tapped the table, his fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes.

"Let's divide the work, work overtime tonight, and compile the supplementary appeal opinions tomorrow..."

Before he could finish speaking, the conference room door was suddenly pushed open.

Branch manager Zhou Peiyuan stood at the door with a sullen face, his expression frighteningly dark.

Everyone paused for a moment, instinctively stopped talking, and turned to look at them.

Junhe Law Firm has multiple departments, and Zhou Peiyuan is the head of his department.

He rarely gets involved in specific cases on a regular basis.

But judging from his expression today, something serious has clearly happened.

"Stop right there!"

Zhou Peiyuan walked in and said in a low voice.

The room fell silent the moment those words were spoken.

Lu Cheng looked up abruptly, his face filled with disbelief: "Director Zhou, what does this mean?"

"I've already submitted the appeal. Are we stopping now? How are we going to explain this to the client?"

"Don't worry, I'll definitely make sure we save face!"

Zhou Peiyuan frowned, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"Even if you have to explain, it has to stop."

"Someone from above just gave us instructions that Junhe can no longer take on this case."

"This is a problem, let's get as far away from each other as possible!"