Softly speaking the final sentence, the camera on Zhang Qiang's end shifted, clearly preparing to disconnect the livestream link.
"Wait, Zhang Qiang, wait!"
Seeing the other man's action, Cheng Xin hurriedly called out to stop him.
He couldn't afford to let him hang up right now.
Otherwise, there would most likely be two human lives lost, leaving behind a little girl with neither father nor mother!
Perhaps not expecting Cheng Xin to speak up so suddenly, Zhang Qiang actually halted his movement.
"The law may have loopholes," Cheng Xin gathered his thoughts upon seeing the other stop, and hurriedly said.
"However, it remains our final line of defense in upholding justice."
"If you choose to give up on it, you are giving up on hope."
Pausing for a moment, Cheng Xin's tone grew firm.
"You just said I'm a good person, right?"
"Then tell me, are you willing to trust me?"
"I will do everything in my power to help you seek justice."
Zhang Qiang looked at Cheng Xin, his eyes filled with suspicion.
He didn't know if this lawyer he had never met before could really help him.
Coming on here today, he had merely wanted to see if there was any way to get a lighter sentence under criminal law.
After all, just as Cheng Xin had said a moment ago, he truly couldn't bear to leave his daughter behind.
If he could stay alive, naturally that would be the best outcome.
Yet looking at it now, could things really take a turn for the better?
Just as he was considering this, the live chat comments suddenly surged frantically.
"Holy shit! A plot twist! So that's what happened!"
"Wait, I even saw the news about this today, so this is the background!"
"This is so tragic! That Li Wei is absolute scum!"
"Lawyer Cheng, you have to help him! We can't let the bad guy get away with it!"
"I support Lawyer Cheng! We've all got your back!"
"Damn it! This pisses me off so much. Lawyer Cheng, take the case! If this guy doesn't have any money, I'll cover the lawyer's fees!"
...
Seeing these comments, Zhang Qiang's expression gradually shifted, and a spark of hope flickered in his eyes once more.
Hesitating for a moment, Zhang Qiang finally gave a heavy nod, as if having made up his mind.
"Lawyer Cheng, I... I am willing to trust you."
His voice was hoarse, lacking the utter deadness it had at the beginning, and carried an extremely distinct choke.
"Then, regarding my wife's case... I leave it in your hands."
Hearing the other's agreement, Cheng Xin finally let out a sigh of relief in his heart.
He knew he had won his gamble.
"Rest assured, Zhang Qiang, I will do my utmost to help you seek justice."
Cheng Xin's tone was firm, yet right now it sounded far more reassuring than any grand and passionate words.
"Justice may be late, but it will never be absent."
After calming Zhang Qiang's emotions and exchanging contact information with him, Cheng Xin announced the end of the livestream.
This time, the viewers in the livestream did not try to stop him; instead, they left messages of support and spontaneously initiated an online crusade against Li Wei.
"Lawyer Cheng is awesome! This is what I want to see!"
"Damn it, this Li Wei is a complete beast! He must face the punishment of the law!"
"If you need financial support, please contact me! We must make this scum pay the price!"
...
Looking at the screen full of support, a warm current surged through Cheng Xin's heart.
At this moment, he knew he was not fighting alone.
After ending the livestream, Cheng Xin immediately set about organizing the livestream recording and the relevant clues provided by netizens.
Just as Zhang Qiang had said, Li Wei's father was indeed a figure of local power.
This posed a major obstacle to the investigation of the case.
The reason why the previous lawyers Zhang Qiang had sought were unwilling to take the case was precisely out of fear of the Li family's influence.
Looking at the information he had retrieved on his computer, Cheng Xin furrowed his brow tightly.
The case itself was actually not difficult at all.
The evidence was conclusive and the facts were clear, yet it was precisely because of the opponent's identity that things had become so troublesome!
If that was the case, then the most crucial issue right now was not anything else, but rather getting this case reopened!
Only by reopening it could the outcome of the case be changed.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as an idea formed in Cheng Xin's mind.
Public opinion!
He knew deeply that in this information age, the power of public opinion was incomparably immense.
If he could wield public opinion well, he could exert tremendous pressure on certain individuals.
Compelling them to re-examine this case.
Only then could he officially intervene in the matter!
Stopping that train of thought, Cheng Xin tapped his fingers lightly against the desktop.
The rhythmic tapping echoed through the silent office.
Even though he had thought of a method, his brow remained tightly knitted.
The screen flashed with footage from Zhang Qiang's livestream, that weather-beaten face filled with despair.
Public opinion was a double-edged sword.
Used well, it could whip up towering waves, washing away scum like Li Wei.
Yet if used poorly, it would backlash against him, even dragging him down into the vortex.
He himself had once been swallowed alive by public opinion!
"Damn Li Wei, acting lawlessly just because he has an official for a father, treating the law like a decoration?"
Cursing under his breath, an anonymous fury burned within Cheng Xin's chest.
In the internet era, internet trolls were rampant.
To truly let this matter ferment, relying merely on the spontaneous spread of netizens was far from enough.
Furthermore, this possibility was something the old foxes of the Li family would naturally have considered as well.
They might even have arranged their personnel long ago, just waiting for him to jump into the trap!
"Hey! Wait!"
"If relying solely on the internet won't work, then the power of the authorities..."
His fingers paused abruptly, and a figure flashed across Cheng Xin's mind.
Like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, it instantly illuminated his train of thought.
That was his university junior, Su Mu.
A girl with a fiery personality and a deep hatred for evil.
Unlike him, who chose to become a lawyer, Su Mu ultimately became a news reporter.
Her sharp intuition for social injustice and her courage in exposing the truth were precisely what he needed most right now.
Most importantly, her background was in some respects no weaker than the Li family's!
"If I ask her for help..."
Muttering softly to himself, Cheng Xin's tightly furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and a trace of a smile crept onto the corners of his mouth.
Yet even with a plan in mind, he did not immediately contact Su Mu.
One should not put all their eggs in one basket.
This was an experience he had summarized after living two lifetimes and struggling through this entire world.
He opened his computer once more and downloaded several software applications.
In less than two hours, he edited the livestream footage into several short videos.
Pairing them with emotional copywriting and tragic background music, he uploaded them to major social media platforms respectively.
The titles were made eye-catching enough.
"Wife Deceased, Perpetrator Escapes Justice: How Can He Seek Justice?"
"A Man's Desperate Cry: Who Will Help Me!"
"Beneath Power, Where is Justice?"
After uploading the videos, Cheng Xin did not stay glued to watch the metrics.
He knew this was only the first step; the real battle was just beginning.
If he couldn't win openly, he would play dirty!