What's wrong with this lawyer?!

Although Old Tang's actions had not yet appeared online, they had already caused significant turmoil in Changlu County and Lincheng City. Just as Old Tang had anticipated, his actions had offended too many people. Many of those involved, like Liu Guanghu, had long since retired, enjoying their twilight years in comfort. After all, some retirees had high pensions, possibly even more than many workers grinding away at 996 jobs in big cities, occasionally supporting their children, living their days contented and happy. And then you, Tang Fangjing, like a damned fool, decided to dig up cases from the past. Having dug them up wasn't enough, you sought acquittals, which was fine by us, but of course, you're Tang Fangjing, reckless of your own life, so we'd give you that much face. But damn it, you just had to probe to the very end, insistent on exposing all the irregularities from the past, dragging all of us old folks who were enjoying our grandchildren into investigations. What were you getting at! Old Tang's previous move against Ding Deshui, appealing thirty-one cases, had indeed made waves, but many were just watching, feeling immune until the fire reached their own doorstep. When Ding Deshui was executed and Liu Guanghu was implicated, affecting some retirees in Changlu County, many finally took notice. Because they realized, Tang Fangjing was damn serious about this! Although those who had retired still had their influence, to be honest, life before and after retirement is worlds apart, not to mention nearly a decade had passed. It had been said before; many wrongful cases were successfully appealed only after years of persistent pleading. Why? Because those involved had stepped down, and newcomers didn't want to deal with old baggage. Nobody knew or cared about you anymore. When issues arose, they were dealt with accordingly, which could even be considered an achievement. Accordingly, Liu Guanghu's case was processed swiftly. Once the news broke, relevant departments jumped into action, resulting in almost immediate admission of guilt upon detention. Old Tang had by that time returned to Lincheng. In fact, he had thought this would be the most dangerous time. After all, his actions had affected so many, shattering their previously peaceful existence. The stark contrast between before and after could drive some to desperation. Unexpectedly, Ding Deshui couldn't hold back and fired the first shot, a shot that stirred the entire situation... So yeah, Director Ding, President Lei, and Director Li, they're all good people, sacrificing their freedom or even their lives to demonstrate Old Tang's "fearlessness." Of course, another person involved in the matter was former Judge Wen Weilin of Changlu County, who was no longer in Lincheng, having reportedly moved to The Capital, becoming neighbors with Tang Fangjing. He didn't dare stay there. If someone didn't have the guts to provoke Tang Fangjing and instead targeted him, he'd be done for. Lao Wen now felt he had resigned too hastily and should've waited until Lawyer Tang sorted things out before resigning. After all, his status as a judge could have offered him protection... But now that he had retired, it didn't matter anymore. He just needed to be a little cautious. There's no point in being scared of wolves ahead and tigers behind; might as well go home and suckle instead. In a hotel room in Lincheng City, Old Tang was quietly reviewing the files. Of course, the files were all displayed on his panel, allowing him to view them however he wished. Yet something strange was afoot. It had been many days since the last mediation session, and during this lengthy period, the mediator had not made a single phone call to him, which was abnormal. Anyone with experience in mediation knows that it's rarely a one-shot deal. Most of the time, it's a long drawn-out process of grinding away, slowly convincing both sides, using all their persuasive powers to get each to give a little. And the prerequisite for all this is communication. But this guy hadn't called, which was suspicious to Old Tang. Considering the mediator's previous behavior, it became even more suspicious; it was as if the man had not come to mediate, but to be his mouthpiece... Whatever, there's no use worrying about it. Pre-litigation mediation has deadlines. When the time is up, just go file the case. If it's not accepted, head to the intermediate court, then to the high court. Time is something he had plenty of. Of course, in reality, many cases are delayed in not being filed, relying on pre-litigation mediation. Any and all cases are first thrown into pre-litigation queues. Some places abide by a one-month deadline, while others don't care, prolonging it indefinitely, claiming they are always working on mediation. If your lawyer isn't assertive, you'll be in for a wait. That's why they say the legal profession requires conscience. Diligent lawyers can continuously push for your case to be filed, even going so far as to complain. Indifferent lawyers... well, they couldn't be bothered. It wasn't their fault if the court intentionally dragged its feet; they only had control over their actions. They'd attend to your case at their convenience, using the interlude to handle other cases. Some unscrupulous lawyers, for instance, don't read the case file, provide no legal opinions, and speak nonsensically in court, clueless about the case details... Last year in The Capital, a case like this happened. The lawyer charged a 150,000 yuan fee, never reviewed the file, and didn't even prepare any legal opinion for the hearing—no, you read that right, he didn't prepare a single legal argument! After complaints, he was punished by the judicial administration and encouraged to leave the law firm he belonged to... Of course, Old Tang was unaware that Ji Xu had already made numerous contacts with the intermediate court, like at this moment when Ji Xu was again on the phone with Judge Tao.