The boss was a middle-aged man with an honest face, who was now sitting behind the barbecue stand, sweating profusely as he busied himself. His skin had turned dark and shiny from long-term exposure to the smoke and flas of cooking.
Upon seeing Lin Haitang, the man seed to want to co over and greet her, but there were too many custors and the stall was clearly overwheld. He could only nod apologetically as a way of saying hello.
It was only then that ng Lang noticed that the man’s right sleeve was empty; he was working entirely with one hand.
"Lawyer Lin, please have a seat. This gentleman... is he your boyfriend?"
ng Lang imdiately put on a smile, "Yes, I am her boyfriend! Sister Liu, you have good eyesight!"
Lin Haitang rolled her eyes but showed no intention of arguing.
The two of them sat down, with Sister Liu occasionally coming over to add more dishes, clearly giving them special attention. It seed she was very familiar with Lin Haitang.
"I didn’t expect you to like places like this. But seeing Sister Liu’s warmth, it must be more than just you being a regular custor, right?"
"Yes! Sister Liu’s husband got disabled in an accident, and the construction company refused to pay compensation. This was the first case I took on after graduation."
ng Lang was taken aback.
Lin Haitang watched the busy couple, a look of reminiscence in her eyes.
"With the breadwinner down and two kids still in elentary school, their situation was no different than if the sky had fallen.
Eventually, we won the lawsuit, and the compensation helped Sister Liu’s family through the toughest of tis.
Life is still hard now, but they’ve managed to pull through.
So whenever I’m feeling down or things aren’t going well at work, I co to this barbecue stand.
Seeing them, I feel like I can see the aning of my own efforts..."
ng Lang, looking at Lin Haitang who finally had a hint of a relaxed smile on her face, smiled too.
"So this place really does hold a special significance for you. Bringing here ans..."
"Yes! I wanted to tell you that all I have in my heart right now are my ideals and work!"
"..."
ng Lang was speechless.
He couldn’t help but point to the couple.
"See? Work or ideals, they can support and rely on each other."
Lin Haitang sighed. "Since I was young, I’ve told myself not to rely too much on anyone.
Because from reliance cos expectation, and from expectation cos disappointnt..."
ng Lang knew she was thinking of her father, still unable to move past the shadows of her childhood.
Ice doesn’t form in a single day; he sighed helplessly and could only raise his hand.
"Boss, ten more skewers of lamb! 5 oysters, 2 bottles of beer! Thank you!"
Then he bowed his head and focused on the barbecue on the table.
Lin Haitang glanced at him. "Are you mad?"
"No, just got a bit of a craving. To tell you the truth, after quitting for a few months, seeing this food today is kind of irresistible." ng Lang laughed and raised the skewer in his hand.
"Quit? Why quit?"
ng Lang couldn’t help but sigh and rubbed his stomach, as if feeling the "pain" of a fallen comrade...
"Alas! That’s a story from a long ti ago..."
Lin Haitang looked puzzled. "It only happened a few months ago; you call that a long ti?"
"Who turned ti into fireworks, a brief mont to witness prosperity.
Who wove youth into a splendid tapestry, a fleeting second to cleanse all the leaden makeup."
"Uhh... what do you an?"
Why on earth was he reciting poetry now?
"It ans, for so people, a few months pass in the blink of an eye, yet for others, it feels like centuries have passed..." ng Lang spread his hands.
"...have you noticed your speech is starting to sound like those verbose monks? Always speaking in riddles."
ng Lang gave a mysterious smile. "Hehe! I’m not speaking in riddles; I just shared my biggest secret with you."
"Secret? I didn’t catch any secret."
"That’s because... we are too far apart."
Lin Haitang was taken aback. "What do you an ’too far apart’?"
ng Lang put down his skewer, sighed deeply with a look of regret.
"You see, you always stand high up in the courtroom, listing various charges against , the defendant, and criticizing , but you’ve never thought to stand in the lawyer’s shoes to defend .
From the start, you’ve assud I’m a criminal.
That’s why you can’t hear my voice."
Lin Haitang: "..."
If I can’t persuade you, I’ll just have to fight Magic with Magic, and Law with a lawyer!
ng Lang looked at her seriously.
"Growth takes away more than just ti, it also takes away the courage to not fear loss.
I understand you, but you also know that the law is based on ’presumption of innocence’, and judgnts can’t be emotional.
Isn’t it unfair to sentence soone to death without any evidence?
Why not try to believe just once, and give a verdict like an acquittal?"
[Presumption of innocence is a legal principle that considers everyone innocent until proven guilty by law.]
Lin Haitang fell silent for a while.
After a long ti, she finally asked slowly.
"What if... the judge’s personal bias is too strong and the verdict is still death?"
ng Lang’s smile faltered.
All this talk and still a death sentence? That’s plain obstinacy!
She can’t be persuaded, so now I have to be shaless...
"Then may I ask, does the death sentence also include life deprivation of political rights?"
ng Lang was serious as if he were discussing a real legal issue.
"Uhh..."
This question left Mr. Lin speechless.
If he’s sentenced to death, what does it matter if his political rights are deprived or not... afraid he’ll co back to life?
"What if they’re not deprived?" Lin Haitang tried asking.
ng Lang chuckled.
"If I’m sentenced to death but retain political rights, couldn’t I exploit a loophole, like... getting elected president and then granting myself a pardon?
What do you think of that idea?"
Lin Haitang: "..."
In this day and age, it’s not the fear of hooligans who can fight, but the fear of cultured hooligans...
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