Gu Nianzhi quietly closed her book and slowly stood up. She looked up to see a middle-aged couple dressed in plain clothes standing on the edge of the grass. They looked at her with humble smiles and habitually bowed.
Gu Nianzhi's eyes flashed. She knew this couple. They were the parents of the murdered female exchange student, Li Haiqing.
She stood up and brushed the grass and dirt off her body before walking towards them.
"Lawyer Gu." Li Haiqing's mother called her timidly. Her eyes were slightly timid, and her expression was both grateful and sad. She tried her best to maintain a calm posture.
The couple looked at Gu Nianzhi, who had bright eyes and white teeth. They could see a bit of admiration for her.
Lawyer Gu was much younger than their daughter, but she was so capable …
Gu Nianzhi's eyes were a bit sore. She curled the corners of her lips and tried her best to smile to make the slightly uncomfortable couple relax.
"Uncle, Auntie, you're here. Come sit in my room." Gu Nianzhi took the initiative to invite them. "I'll treat you to dinner tonight. You're not used to the food here, right? "
German cuisine was considered one of the top "dark cuisines" in Europe. There wasn't much good food there.
The couple shook their heads and looked at each other.
Li Haiqing's parents were both in their fifties. Due to the recent torture of losing their daughter, they looked even older.
"No, we're here to talk to you," Li Haiqing's father said. Li Haiqing's father spoke. He looked at Gu Nianzhi and suddenly bent down to bow to Gu Nianzhi.
It was an almost 90-degree bow.
Gu Nianzhi froze and quickly reached out to help the middle-aged man. She said anxiously, "Uncle, what are you doing? Let's talk about it. I can't take it. "
"No, you can take it." Li Haiqing's mother finally began to wipe away her tears. "Our family is poor and can't afford a lawyer. Thank you, Lawyer Gu, for standing up for Haiqing. She's a good child … a good child … She's not … not the kind of girl who would mess around with men … "
Gu Nianzhi tried her best to hold back the tears that almost fell. She spoke very slowly and calmly. "Auntie, don't feel burdened. They committed a crime and will be punished by the law. As for the lawyer's fees, don't worry. Not only will you not have to pay, but we will also fight for a large amount of civil compensation for you. "
"Civil compensation?" Li Haiqing's father shook his head. "No need. No amount of money can buy back my daughter's life. I really regret it … I really regret it …"
Regret what?
He probably regretted sending his daughter to study in Germany …
Gu Nianzhi argued eloquently in court, but she didn't know what to say to this simple middle-aged couple.
It seemed that any words were so pale and powerless in the face of this kind of love between parents who only wished for the well-being of their children.
"It's not your fault, and it's not Hai Qing's fault." Gu Nianzhi calmed down and raised her head. Her expression was solemn. "It was those people who were crazy! They will definitely be punished by the law! "
At this point, Gu Nianzhi remembered that the court had already delayed the verdict for half a month and refused to continue the trial. She quickly said, "Don't worry, I'll urge the court to start the trial immediately."
She thought that Li Haiqing's parents were here to ask her to hurry up with the court.
Unexpectedly, Li Haiqing's parents shook their heads and said, "We can see that the murderer's family is rich and powerful. We are very grateful that Lawyer Gu is not afraid of them and is willing to stand up for Haiqing. "
As they spoke, the couple bowed to Gu Nianzhi again.
Gu Nianzhi was really embarrassed and mumbled as she took a step back. "I feel even more guilty now that you're acting like this."
"Please don't misunderstand, Lawyer Gu. We really aren't here to rush you." Li Haiqing's mother sighed. "Actually, we're here to say goodbye today."
"Goodbye?" Gu Nianzhi really didn't expect this reason. "Why? The trial isn't over yet, why are you leaving? "
"We've already been out for almost a month. If we don't go back soon, we won't be able to keep our jobs." Li Haiqing's father said quietly, "Also, we feel bad for using Director Bai's family's money. So we've already booked plane tickets to go back tomorrow. "
Gu Nianzhi tried her best to make them stay, but the couple had already made up their minds.
However, before they left, they were still convinced by Gu Nianzhi and signed a letter of representation to represent them in the civil case.
With this full representation, Gu Nianzhi could immediately start the civil case.
If the Munich District Court wants to delay the criminal case, fine, I'll give you something to do. Let's start the civil compensation process.
Gu Nianzhi sent Li Haiqing's parents off and returned to her hotel room to draft the civil compensation complaint.
When He Zhichu returned to the hotel that night, it was already midnight.
When he passed by Gu Nianzhi's door, he was slightly surprised to see light spilling out from the crack in the door.
He knocked on her door. "Nianzhi, you're still awake?"
Gu Nianzhi got up from her computer and walked over to open the door. "Professor He is back?"
"Yeah, why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I'm preparing the civil lawsuit draft." Gu Nianzhi rubbed her eyes. "I'm almost done and will send it to Professor He for a look."
"Civil lawsuit?" He Zhichu frowned. "Yeah, it's too late. Let's talk about it tomorrow."
Gu Nianzhi's eyelids were starting to struggle. She covered her hands and yawned. Nodding at He Zhichu, she closed the door.
After working for another half an hour, she finally finished. She reread it and sent it to He Zhichu's email before turning off her phone to sleep.
She slept all the way until noon the next day.
She woke up and picked up her phone to see the text from Li Haiqing's parents. They thanked her profusely and said they were about to board the plane.
Gu Nianzhi yelped and looked at her watch. It had already been two hours since they sent the text. The plane must have already taken off. She wouldn't be able to see them off in time.
But it didn't matter. Gu Nianzhi had done everything for them. They wouldn't care if she didn't see them off.
Gu Nianzhi sat on the bed in a daze for a while before slowly getting up to wash up.
When she was done, she looked at her phone again. There was still no message from He Zhichu.
She changed her clothes and went to knock on He Zhichu's door.
He Zhichu opened the door for her and saw that she still looked sleepy. His lips curled into a faint smile. "You're up? Have you had breakfast? "
Gu Nianzhi shook her head. "Professor He, did you read the email I sent you yesterday?"
"I'm reading it." He Zhichu stepped aside. "Come in and talk."
Gu Nianzhi walked in and heard He Zhichu order room service to send lunch over.
The Michelin star restaurant he had ordered food from before was too full, so He Zhichu didn't continue ordering food there.
Now they were looking for other restaurants and didn't have a fixed location.
If they were too busy, they could eat at the hotel.
Gu Nianzhi had no appetite for anything now. She just wanted to fill her stomach.
She sat down on the sofa across from He Zhichu.
He Zhichu turned the computer to face her. "You want to sue Nina, Seth, Seth's parents, the Roslau Regional Police Department, and the Roslau City Government?"
"Yes. Suing them is the only way to get the most compensation and influence." Gu Nianzhi nodded. "Suing Seth alone won't be of much use."
"Your goal for compensation is one billion Euros?" He Zhichu laughed. "That's quite an appetite …"
"If I can't demand an exorbitant price, then what's the point of suing?" Gu Nianzhi raised a brow. "Also, in German law, there's no upper limit for punitive damages in civil claims. Look at the reasons I listed. Can they convince the court to accept the case? "
He Zhichu read on slowly.
Gu Nianzhi explained in the complaint why she wanted such a large amount of compensation.
First, she explained how Li Haiqing's parents were struggling to support their child's studies. Their daughter's death caused a huge financial loss to the family, indicating that they needed financial support and assistance.
Then she listed how Seth's brutality dealt a heavy psychological blow to the victim's parents.
Finally, she emphasized the most important point. Seth's parents abused their power for personal gain and manipulated the Roslau Regional Police Department to attempt to neglect their duties, get away with it, and treat human life as grass. Not only was it unfair to the victim, Li Haiqing, but it was also unfair to her parents. It also caused great damage to society and the hearts of the people. The latter, in particular, was the basis for Gu Nianzhi to demand such a large amount of compensation.
The case was so terrible that the Roslau Regional Police Department, as a law enforcement agency, knowingly broke the law. The Roslau City Government, as a democratically elected government, disregarded the safety of the people in their jurisdiction. Moreover, the live broadcast of the trial had already caused public outrage.
All of this could only be appeased by a heavy punishment.
He Zhichu thought about it for a moment before saying, "Your first point emphasized the victim's parents' financial situation. It's better not to list it."
"Why?" Gu Nianzhi didn't understand and clenched her hands into a ball. She couldn't forget Li Haiqing's parents' old and helpless faces and their poor financial situation. "Why can't I add it? Seth's actions did indeed harm the Li family's interests from an economic perspective. "
"Nianzhi, the court is not a charity. Emphasizing the Li family's parents' financial situation will only backfire. Westerners think differently from Easterners. They won't sympathize with the Li family because of their poverty. Instead, they'll think they're using the opportunity to blackmail them, which will backfire. "
"Oh?" Gu Nianzhi really hadn't thought of that.
As expected, international lawsuits were not easy to fight. No wonder law firms mostly commissioned local law firms to fight international lawsuits. It was because different countries had different cultural traditions, resulting in different legal habits and people's concerns.
He Zhichu deleted that reason from Gu Nianzhi's complaint and added another reason for her. "Seth's father, York, and mother, Ramona, are high-ranking officers in the police department. They actively destroyed evidence and caused irreversible damage to the case. They acted as officers of the Roslau Regional Police Department, so the Roslau Regional Police Department is jointly and severally liable. "
Gu Nianzhi leaned over to take a look and said with complete admiration, "Professor He is still more thoughtful than I am."
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This is the first update.
A reminder for everyone's monthly votes and recommendation votes!
There will be an extra update at 7pm.
PS: Regarding the plagiarism of "Hello Major General," last time, Qidian Girls' Web has already posted a notice about the plagiarized book. There are more than ten chapters that involved plagiarism. After blocking it, they asked her to delete the plagiarized parts. Hopefully, the country can improve the relevant laws and regulations to make it easier for the original author to protect their rights.
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