People's interests

Author: Xiao Xiaming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-01
Features: This is a novel that reflects the living conditions and emotional journey of laid-off workers. They have lost their jobs and become marginalized groups in society. To survive, some set up street stalls, others drive taxis, some sell insurance, and embark on second careers. Facing life's hardships, they help each other and overcome difficulties, showcasing the genuine human warmth of ordinary people. When state property is violated, it is these ordinary citizens who stand up and fight decisively against criminals who trade power for money. Because they know that the interests of the people are always aligned with the interests of the state.
As the Spring Festival approached, people carrying large and small bags began to appear on the streets, and businesses were busy decorating with lights and setting up shop windows. Almost every restaurant had posted boastful signs: "New Year's Eve dinner still has a few seats left, please book quickly." Du Deběn watched all this and suddenly thought of Gui Sùzhēn, the wife of Miao Qingshan, and Wang Hongshùn, who was in the detention center. The festive season always brings homesickness, and how would they spend this year's Spring Festival in such a desolate atmosphere! He glanced secretly at Shi Feng beside him and felt a bittersweet emotion in his heart. To be honest, that tragedy should never have happened, nor would it have. The Chinese Spring Festival is, in essence, a long carnival. People usually work early and late, enduring great hardship, but at this time, everyone has the right to let loose—whether by getting blackout drunk or playing mahjong for days on end, no one would mind. But not everyone does; there are always a few who, for various reasons, refuse to take a break and continue working during the holiday. Ma Pingchuan, a young prosecutor at the Xia Cheng District Procuratorate, is one such person. A few days before the Spring Festival, the procuratorate held a meeting and decided to appoint Ma Pingchuan as the prosecutor in Wang Hongshùn's case. This was the first time he had played a leading role in a court trial since becoming a prosecutor, and he was particularly excited, wanting to seize the opportunity to show off his abilities. To ensure a successful performance, he spent the entire Spring Festival holiday thoroughly reviewing the case file and meticulously drafting the indictment. This indictment was concise, logically sound, and demonstrated his outstanding thinking and writing skills. His efforts were fully rewarded. Just after the Spring Festival, the Xia Cheng District Procuratorate formally filed an indictment against Wang Hongshùn for intentional injury with the court.
Upon learning this news, Shi Feng asked Fang Sheng to arrange a meeting with the young and talented prosecutor Ma Pingchuan and treat him to a meal. Fang Sheng laughed and asked, "You won't just invite him for dinner out of the blue? What do you really want to achieve by doing this?" Shi Feng replied, "There's nothing special in mind, I just want to get a feel for the situation before the trial." Fang Sheng chuckled, "Can you fool me? Wang Hongshùn is your enemy. You just want to know what's in store for him as soon as possible, don't you?" Shi Feng neither admitted nor denied it. Fang Sheng patted his shoulder and said in a teaching tone, "Don't think that money can buy anyone. Ma Pingchuan isn't just an ordinary person—you know how he got into the procuratorate? Through his father-in-law's word. His father-in-law, Yang Yuanshan, was once the head of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Qingjiang. That young man has big ambitions and always puts on a facade of an incorruptible official, as if he's above the fray. Someone like that would care about a meal like yours? It might even arouse his suspicion. Why bother? Just wait patiently for the trial. You're afraid of a cooked duck flying away?"
Shi Feng thought Fang Sheng had a point, and adding more would only complicate things, so he patiently put his energy back into his big business while closely monitoring the progress of the case. Since Wang Hongshùn's case was straightforward, the court's routine review was just a formality and didn't take much time. Therefore, after the Xia Cheng District Court accepted the case, it quickly sent a copy of the indictment to his family according to legal procedures, with the trial date tentatively set for half a month later. Sang Hua couldn't afford to delay and went to the Ya Dong Law Firm with Ni Koubao in the afternoon to ask Feng Guoliang to serve as the defense attorney. He had originally planned to bring Gu Bin along, but Gu Bin had gone to the provincial capital to help set up the art school, so he had to cancel.
In recent days, Feng Guoliang had also been swamped with work. The case of the huge inheritance had been accepted by the Qingjiang Intermediate People's Court, and the two sides had officially gone head-to-head. With hundreds of millions of yuan at stake and facing a powerful team of lawyers from Shanghai, he couldn't afford to be complacent, so he didn't take a single day off after the Spring Festival and traveled back and forth between the provincial capital and Qingjiang to gather more evidence. When Sang Hua and Ni Koubao went to see him, he was sorting and organizing the evidence with Sha Ming's help, and the entire office was in disarray. Ni Koubao waited outside for more than half an hour, but Feng Guoliang didn't even raise his head. Finally, he lost patience and burst in, calling out, "Lawyer Feng!"
Feng Guoliang frowned at the uninvited guest and asked bluntly, "Why are you here again?" Ni Koubao brought Sang Hua in, and the two explained their intention. Hearing this, Feng Guoliang's frown deepened, and he said coldly, "I'm sorry, but I've already taken on another case and don't have the time. You'll have to find another lawyer." Ni Koubao quickly offered a cigarette and pleaded, "Lawyer Feng, please, for my sake, help me out, no matter how busy you are."
Your face? How much are your face worth? Feng Guoliang pushed his hand away, saying, "Why do you have to insist on me? There are plenty of lawyers around—stock brokers, real estate agents, and law firms. You can find someone else!" Sang Hua smiled apologetically, "You're a renowned lawyer in Qingjiang, and no one is better than you. Only you can save my husband. Please, I beg you, Lawyer Feng." Flattery always feels good, but at this moment, Feng Guoliang felt more annoyed than pleased. He regretted his impulsive promise back then. Now, the other party was like a stubborn sticker, impossible to shake off. If he refused sternly in front of Sha Ming, it would be humiliating and damage his reputation. What should he do? Feng Guoliang frowned and glanced at Sha Ming opposite him, then suddenly had an idea—a clever escape plan.
Sha Ming was a serious and efficient young man who had helped him a lot. He had originally planned to reward him with something after the inheritance case was settled, but now he could change his plans and hand the Wang Hongshùn case over to him. After all, he wasn't he always talking about protecting the underprivileged? This way, he could fulfill his ambition and settle his debt of gratitude. What was there not to like?
Feng Guoliang lit another cigarette handed over by Ni Koubao and said calmly, "As you can see, I'm swamped with work and don't have time for new cases. But you trust me so much, and it would be awkward to refuse. How about this? Let Xiao Sha take on Wang Hongshùn's defense case. He can handle it directly, and if there are any problems, I can give some advice. What do you think?"
Sang Hua and Ni Koubao looked at each other, their disappointment evident. Sha Ming said, "I'm not qualified, Teacher Feng. I'm not capable enough."
"No, your abilities are perfectly fine!" Feng Guoliang interrupted him, pulling him up from his chair and pushing him in front of Sang Hua and Ni Koubao. "Let me introduce you to someone. He's a top graduate from East China University of Political Science and Law, with extensive professional knowledge and a strong sense of justice. He's more than qualified to be Wang Hongshùn's defense attorney."
Sha Ming felt quite embarrassed and blushed, saying, "Teacher Feng, you're exaggerating. I'm just good at theory—I have no practical experience."
"Exactly! Practice comes before experience. Without practice, how can you gain experience?" Feng Guoliang patted his shoulder vigorously. "Stop being humble. This is settled! Xiao Sha, just go ahead and do it. With me as your strong backing, you have nothing to worry about."
Sha Ming reluctantly agreed with a forced smile, and Sang Hua and Ni Koubao couldn't say anything more. Taking advantage of the momentum, Feng Guoliang handed them a sample of a power of attorney to take outside and review. If there were no issues, they were to sign it immediately.
With this troublesome matter cleverly offloaded, Feng Guoliang felt increasingly pleased with himself. Now he could focus entirely on his own work.
Contrary to his ease, Sha Ming frowned and looked troubled. Such an expression on a young, smooth face seemed quite comical. Feng Guoliang smiled at him and asked, "What's wrong, Xiao Sha? Do you want to back out?"