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

Upon hearing this, Lu Cheng's mind went blank, and he thought he had misheard.

He took half a step forward, his brows furrowed.

"Director Zhou, why can't we take the case? It's just a regular criminal case."

"No matter how formidable the opposing lawyer is, with our team working together, we might still have a chance of winning in the second instance! As for withdrawing the case outright?"

"If word gets out, people will think that Junhe is afraid of a young lawyer!"

The lawyers nearby exchanged bewildered glances.

In the view of top-tier law firms, as long as they don't cross legal red lines, there is room for maneuver even in the most complex cases.

There's no reason to give up on such a big client.

Moreover, the outcome of this case is also related to the reputation of their law firm.

Zhou Peiyuan didn't explain much, turned around and walked to the projection screen on the conference table, and uploaded a video.

Soon, the video started playing.

The footage is a clip from Jiang Chen's live stream yesterday.

The camera shows the reception area of ​​the Navy office.

Chen Xiangdong slammed his fist on the table, his furious voice ringing out clearly.

"They've gone too far! How dare they bully the families of martyrs and then turn around and accuse us of extortion?"

"Initiate Level II oversight! Bring in the best criminal defense team; every single person who should be held accountable must be held accountable!"

"..."

In the video, Chen Xiangdong's face is full of anger, while his assistant is bending over and taking notes quickly.

It's obvious that both the Army and Navy are keeping an eye on this case.

After watching the video, the meeting room fell silent instantly.

The group of people who had been offering suggestions all fell silent.

Zhang Kai's hand, holding the coffee cup, froze in mid-air. After a long pause, he gave a wry smile: "No wonder... this isn't an ordinary case; this is a real disaster!"

"Whether it's the families of martyrs or those who died on the border, both branches of the military are watching closely. If our law firm gets involved, it's not about litigating a case, it's about walking into the line of fire!"

Li Wen frowned and nodded, her tone tinged with a sigh: "It doesn't hold water either."

"These martyrs guarded the border, and their descendants are being bullied like this in the local area. We're even helping them get away with it and turning around to accuse them of extortion. If this gets out, Junhe's reputation will be completely ruined..."

"Don't even mention the possibility of losing. Even if we did win through a program loophole, the cost would be too high; it wouldn't be worth it!"

Wang Zhao, who has been in the industry the longest, sighed and shook his head.

"This case is unsolvable."

"Protecting the rights of families of martyrs and soldiers is a red line in the judiciary. With the case being handled under second-level supervision, the appellate court will only be more cautious. Our minor objections to sentencing are simply insignificant in the face of matters of principle!"

"It's better to withdraw; it's a timely way to cut losses."

Each word fell on Lu Cheng's ears like a heavy hammer blow to his heart.

His initial resentment gradually dissipated in the face of this video.

Lu Cheng slumped into his chair, tugged at his crumpled tie, and said in a hoarse voice, "Fine... then I won't answer."

"The defendant's breach of contract penalty should be paid according to the contract."

I never expected things to end this way.

After realizing the situation, Lu Cheng stopped being stubborn.

If you get out now, you can still escape unscathed.

If we keep dwelling on this, the consequences could be even more serious!

A major client, losing a lawsuit, just wait it out and the storm will pass!

But Zhou Peiyuan's next words made Lu Cheng's face stiffen.

"It's not just that the case was dropped."

Zhou Peiyuan looked at him, his tone heavy.

"We just received a notice that, in order to quell public opinion and clarify the firm's position, your employment contract will be temporarily terminated, and you will be suspended with pay to avoid the limelight for a while."

"This is the order from above; I can't protect you either."

"What?!"

Lu Cheng suddenly stood up, his expression full of disbelief.

"Suspended? Just because of one case?"

"I've worked at Junhe for over ten years. Even if I haven't achieved anything remarkable, I've certainly put in a lot of hard work. Just because I lost a case in the first instance, they want to suspend me from my post?"

"It's not because we lost the lawsuit, it's because we took the wrong side." Zhou Peiyuan sighed. "Now the whole internet is criticizing us for helping the rich bully the families of martyrs. Headquarters must give the public an answer."

"You are the lead attorney in this case, so we can only ask you to make do for now."

"We'll see how things go after things have completely calmed down before arranging for his reinstatement..."

Lu Cheng opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

Once the storm has passed, will you arrange for his reinstatement?

Just take that as a joke.

He earned his position through seniority.

There aren't that many twists and turns.

Once he leaves this position, someone will quickly take his place.

The market may lack many things, but it never lacks people.

……

News can't be kept secret here.

The official statement from Junhe Law Firm was also released at the same time.

That afternoon, news of "Junhe Law Firm case termination" and "lead lawyer Lu Cheng suspended" spread across the internet.

It instantly topped the trending search lists on major platforms!

Jiang Chen was still answering questions from netizens in the live broadcast room when he heard the news from them.

[Have you heard? Junhe has issued a notice that lawyer Lu has been suspended!]

Holy crap! This is so satisfying! Those who helped scum distort the truth have finally gotten their comeuppance!

Even those in high-ranking positions wouldn't dare cross the line regarding the families of martyrs and soldiers; this is a case of pragmatism being the wise thing to do!

[Lu Cheng has truly failed. His reputation, built up over so many years, has been completely ruined by this case!]

Serves them right! They'll do anything, no matter how despicable, for lawyer fees; they deserved this day!

Let's see how the defendant tries to cause trouble next. I wonder which lawyer would dare to take on this hot potato!

On the other side, at the Pei Group headquarters, in the top-floor office.

Pei Zhenbang was sitting in the boss's chair, flipping through financial reports, a cigar between his fingers.

In his view, it was simply a pipe dream that he couldn't handle a minor criminal case with his own wealth and connections!

It was at this moment that...

The secretary rushed in, her face pale.

Her tone was somewhat panicked: "President Pei! Something terrible has happened!"

"Junhe Law Firm sent a formal letter saying they want to terminate their engagement contract with us, and they won't take on the second instance!"

Pei Zhenbang frowned and looked up at him: "What do you mean? You accepted a seven-figure legal fee, and now you're just going to back out?"

"It's not just about terminating the contract."

The secretary swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "It's all over the internet. The victim is the daughter of a border martyr. The Army Veterans Affairs Office has already designated the case as a Level II Special Case, and even the Navy has issued a letter of concern."

"Lu Cheng was suspended from his job at the law firm because of this case."

"Right now, the entire legal profession is buzzing that nobody in the province dares to take our appeal!"

Pei Zhenbang's composure gradually disappeared, replaced by a deep gloom.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

Da da da……

After a long pause, he suddenly let out a cold laugh, his tone full of disdain.

"Level-two supervision? It's just for show."

"The local departments are just making empty promises and trying to appease public opinion. Do they really want to go head-to-head with me over a young girl? It's not worth it."

"Our group has helped the local area create so many jobs. Do you think they'd disregard my feelings over this?"

In his life, he has been navigating the ups and downs of the business world for decades and has seen far too many things that make a lot of noise but amount to little.

So-called special projects and supervisions are mostly just formalities.

Once the hype dies down, no one will pursue the matter anymore.

"So what if they don't have a lawyer?" Pei Zhenbang flicked his cigarette ash. "If their lawyers don't dare to take the case, there are always lawyers who will."

"I refuse to believe that we can't hire a top-notch criminal lawyer even if we offer three times the price!"

"So what if he's a second-level inspector? My son, Pei Zhenbang's son, can't just go to jail like this!"

"Tell the legal department to contact top criminal defense teams immediately. Money is not an issue!"

"I want to see if this case can be overturned!"

Seeing his confident expression, the secretary hesitated for a moment, but still bowed her head and agreed.

"Yes, Mr. Pei, I'll arrange it right away!"