Sound of Silence (2025) Movie Script
The world of those with mild hearing loss
is like being shrouded in a veil.
Those with moderate hearing loss
are like wearing thick earplugs.
Those with severe cases essentially live
in a world of silence
or only distorted vibrations.
I'm not lying.
When our Dong was this little
and still crawling on the floor,
my sister was gone.
I raised him
and I'm counting on him
to take care of me till the end.
He went to work at that place
and ended up with such a huge accident.
Mr. Jiang can tell you
what a mess Dong's legs have become.
Even if he can stand again,
there's no doubt
he'll have a disability.
If he wants to go out there
and be a street sweeper,
they wouldn't want him.
They've ruined his life
and all I'm asking for
is a million and a half.
Is that too much?
Not at all, right?
According to our research,
the location of your nephew's accident
was not the same as my client's office.
The company must've sent him.
Any records?
- What?
- If you have records of the assignment,
please provide them as proof.
The minimum we'll accept is 1.3 million.
All the transactions
were done between private accounts.
You're a lawyer too, Mr. Jiang.
You know these can't prove
any employment relationship between them.
Excuse me. I have to take this.
Go ahead.
- This is
- This does put us at an advantage.
The second trial is around the corner
and we can apply
for an appraisal of labor capacity.
You think they can afford to drag it out?
See you in court.
That was another case.
Where were we?
One million
1.3 million.
Right.
See you in court.
1.1.
Sorry.
Mr. Li,
well, what do you suggest?
As a humanitarian gesture,
my client is willing to provide
compensation of 300,000 yuan.
I have the agreement here.
If you sign it right now,
the money can be transferred immediately.
Ma'am,
think about it.
People at Origin of Thinking Law Firm
are really quite good
at labor disputes like this,
but we can't sign right now.
We wait? What if we wait
and I end up with nothing?
Don't worry. I will see it through.
We booked this conference room.
You are
Sorry, we stayed too long.
We'll be out of here soon.
Give us a minute.
All right. Keep calm.
It's okay.
If you haven't made up your mind,
we can have another meeting.
I don't think money
is the real issue here.
But once the trial starts,
it will take a great toll on Dong.
Hey, wait.
YAN TONG
Bye.
LI QI, GOLD MEDAL LAWYER
I just checked.
Nobody booked the conference room.
No?
It was him.
Sir, wait.
Sir.
THIS FILM IS PARTIALLY BASED ON
THE EXPERIENCES OF ZHANG QI, A CODA
MALIAO LANE
PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES
Debt disputes, marriage and family
affairs, and work injury compensation.
Our lawyers are the most reliable.
Take a look.
Ms. Gu.
Director Li.
In Mr. Han's case, I'll transfer
your cut to your online account.
Thanks. I'll refer all my cases to you.
Keep them for yourself.
LEGAL CONSULTATION
Qi, another big case?
Drinks tonight?
I'm busy.
You make all this money every day.
Why are you hanging out here with us?
Because of you, of course.
What's that got to do with me?
Exactly. What's that got to do with you?
I'm divorcing you. I swear!
Come to me for the divorce.
Quit playing card games at my doorstep.
No wonder you never make any money.
Mr. Zhang, heading out?
To attend a court hearing.
A legal aid case.
- How was your day? Good?
- Good.
- Later then.
- Later.
Pack it up.
8,240.
Not a penny paid.
LEGAL CONSULTATION
I told him I had no money for food
and he gave me 200 yuan.
When I asked him again for my pay,
he stopped answering the phone.
Your situation here is
Don't worry, man.
We'll definitely help you.
You can sign a power of attorney first.
Thank you.
For case filing
and court representation, 3,000 yuan.
But you can pay when we win...
For drafting a lawsuit petition,
only 300 yuan.
One hundred. Two hundred.
260 yuan.
That'll do. It's okay.
There's a code for you to scan.
Take care.
Sorry, we haven't been much help.
Come. Get over here.
What are you doing?
How many times have I told you?
Who are these people?
Poor people. Ordinary people.
What do ordinary people mean?
Ordinary means of payment.
We run a law firm here.
When you take a case,
is it for fame or profit?
You have to pick at least one.
That's not right.
LEGAL PROFESSIONAL
QUALIFICATION EXAMINATION STUDY GUIDE
The third principle
of Advancing the Rule of Law.
All are equal
Pass the National Legal Exam first.
But given our firm's location,
those are the only cases that end up here.
It's not like I want it that way.
Taking on better cases and standing
at the top of the legal world.
Don't you want that?
What's this?
SETTLEMENT AGREEMENShe signed it!
The seat of legal counsel
at Mr. Han's company
Is within my grasp.
I told you not to sign that agreement,
but you simply wouldn't listen.
What's the use of appealing now?
You're quite a talker now.
Why didn't you speak much
in court just now?
Because you signed that agreement!
Forget it.
We lost. What more is there to say?
- Thank you, Mr. Li. You're a hero.
- All that effort for nothing.
It's my job.
All right, let's have dinner someday.
Sure.
Mr. Han,
how forgetful I am.
I forgot
about the legal counsel agreement.
When you have time,
I'd like to go to your company
to discuss representing you legally.
I'm going on a business trip.
Let's talk when I get back.
Are you satisfied
with how the case turned out?
Yes. You're good.
So you're not happy with my rates?
I gave you the best deal possible.
I rounded it down.
That's a different matter entirely.
I'll transfer
another 2,000 yuan to you now.
No, that's not what I meant.
In fact, we've prepared
a very detailed service proposal for you.
Mr. Li,
with labor contract disputes,
you're quite capable,
but when it comes
to legal counsel for my company,
we have certain requirements
of the legal firm we work with.
Mr. Han.
Let me do a briefing. Ten minutes.
All right.
So tell me.
Shall we do it at the Origin
of Thinking Law Firm in the IF Tower
or your ghetto firm in Maliao Lane?
Mr. Han.
You can wire the 2,000 yuan
to the same account as before.
What?
You. Director Li.
I'm a lawyer, not a director.
Who sent you?
Old man Ma said
Director Li can help my brother.
What happened to your brother?
He was taken by the police.
If the police took your brother away,
it means he did something wrong.
No.
It was them.
They lied to him.
They lied to him. He was taken.
Then find the guys who lied to him.
Wait.
Legal fee.
Help me.
I can't.
My rate for an hour is 2,000 yuan.
Ask someone else.
Your family lives
in the factory compound as well.
We're the same.
Same.
Are we the same?
You're too young.
Moral coercion doesn't suit you.
- Qiu.
- My junior, are you free tonight?
No. Same.
I was with your secretary last time.
- Okay.
- We hit it off well.
Have a drink.
- I was listening to my uncle about
- Qiu.
My man, come here.
Let me do the introduction.
This is my junior schoolmate.
We have the same watch.
Go on and do a few swings.
I'll be right there.
- Sure, we'll talk later.
- Go ahead.
Press here, sir.
I know that.
All right.
Let's start.
Li Qi.
Qiu.
I asked you to come here for a favor.
You have to help me out.
Take a look.
I asked for you
because this kid is Deaf as well.
He mortgaged his house
to a financial management company
and lost the money.
The company came to take the house
and a fight broke out.
He stabbed someone.
A surveillance camera recorded everything,
but we still hope
to get a lenient sentence.
It's too hard for us to talk to them.
They only trust those
who know sign language.
They lied to him.
They lied to him. He was taken.
You know the Deaf community
better than anyone.
You're our best shot.
It's an assignment from above.
I can't say no.
As for you, try to make me look good
and I'll take care of you.
I know them only too well.
When it comes to these people,
it's often not worth the effort.
Qiu, to be honest,
I probably can't help you with this.
Let me ask around for another lawyer
who knows sign language.
All right.
Let's drop it for now. Have a drink.
That guy standing
is President Liu
of the Elite Lawyers Alliance.
I can have him recommend a company
for you to serve as legal counsel for.
Great. Thank you, Qiu.
I'll leave this here for you.
If you're worried about your performance,
think of it as a translation job.
I've got you covered.
- Qiu, I...
- Qi.
You just started playing golf, right?
Start with the practice club.
Think about it.
MALIAO LANE
EXEMPLAR LAW FIRM
I didn't guarantee we'd win this
because I didn't want
to violate any regulations.
But you know
how many years
we've been next to the courthouse.
We know everyone there.
Why don't we meet up tomorrow?
YOU'RE NOT THEIR FRIEND YETHEY SAY THAT GOOD KIDS
GIVE THEIR FATHERS POCKET MONEY.
Ms. Liu, the water flow in our toilet
is still a problem.
Would you consider getting a new one?
Shall we do it at the Origin
of Thinking Law Firm in the IF Tower
or your ghetto firm in Maliao Lane?
RENT IS DUE IN THREE DAYS.
YOU PAY. I'll FIX THE TOILET.
Li Qi,
we are aware
of your family's financial difficulties
and have organized a fund raising for you.
Prepare a speech.
The theme is My Deaf Parents.
Sir,
I'd like to skip that.
The fees you owe
for this semester will be cleared.
My parents are both Deaf,
so we often have to face the challenges
caused by financial distress.
Qiu,
that legal aid case,
can we talk about fees?
I want to take it.
Thank you.
Mr. Jin,
your fund dividends are in again.
23,000 yuan.
WEALTH
Five thousand more than last month.
Five thousand more than last month.
That's great.
HUJIANG FIRST TOY FACTORY
RESTRICTED AREA,
NO TRESPASSING, NO PARKING
Dinner time.
Give me a minute.
Take a look, guys.
Your gold bracelet is so pretty.
It costs more than 20,000 yuan.
Keep it down.
None of your business.
The big lawyer's back.
Draw a tile for me.
Good hand.
How much can you make doing this?
You already have no hearing.
Now you want to lose your eyesight too?
It's all right.
If I make ten more bucks today,
I'll have better food at the nursing home.
Get in here.
I have Song Jiang now.
Awesome.
And the Wu Song card?
Not yet.
Drink this.
No, it's okay.
ZHANG XIAOCHEN, ZHANG XIAORUI
You know these two?
The Zhang siblings.
Such rotten luck.
Parents dead.
Brother in jail.
You know where she is?
Look at Lotus Street.
No, it's okay.
Keep looking for those cards for me.
As for this, don't buy it.
I won't. I have no money.
Now that you're back,
go visit your mother.
Take this. Go on.
Go.
Okay. Get back.
Greed blinds one to conscience.
Only heartless, unfilial sons
deserved repeated lashes.
They grow up and forget their parents.
Son, you're not having dinner with us?
I'm busy.
I just came here to pay respect to Mom.
Give me some more money.
I want to take my girlfriend on a trip.
No more money.
How am I supposed to live without money?
Or I could come live with you
at the law firm.
SON: 1,000 YUAN, ACCEPT PAYMENAs a unicorn in the financial
lending assistance sector,
Set Sail Finance Holdings Co., Ltd.
Has shown strong performance lately.
Its diversified business portfolio
and one-stop smart financial service model
have achieved remarkable results.
With experienced financial analysts
to analyze
Stinky dumb.
I'm talking about money. Money!
Get it out!
Money!
Get it out!
- What's going on here?
- What are you up to?
- Don't go.
- Hello, 110.
It's okay.
What happened?
Bullying the disabled. What scums!
It's okay. Here. Take this.
Take it.
It's okay.
What is this?
I thought we had a deal.
It's November 27th, 6:13 p.m.
Location is Lotus Street.
The illegal proceeds are around 200 yuan.
This is recorded as evidence.
Mr. Policeman,
it was this little girl's idea.
- That's right.
- This doesn't concern you. Go.
Go.
Talk to me.
I'm making money for your lawyer's fee.
Two thousand per hour.
I can help your brother
for free.
Tell me. That day...
Wait.
Why are you helping me?
We are
almost the same.
We are almost the same?
You think I'm stupid?
The government sent a lawyer.
A free one.
That's me.
- You.
- That's me.
Let me add you on WeChat.
I'll scan you.
Give me the phone!
Quite the runner you are.
Zhang Xiaorui!
How is my sister?
She's fine.
She asked me to help you.
Tell me what happened.
Piss off!
What are you doing?
This is what you bought, right?
They told us to mortgage the house
and invest the money.
Profit guaranteed.
The house would still be mine.
I wanted to make
some college money for my sister.
I didn't know they were crooks.
I saw many people
mortgage their houses and make money,
so I wanted to try it too.
It was all my fault.
The 270,000 you subscribed to
yielded 9,800 this month.
Received.
Ms. Wu, you made money.
Lots of money.
I brought some friends over to buy more.
Stick together
to make more money.
I want to buy it,
but I don't have any cash right now.
There are real estate companies
we work with.
You can mortgage your house to us,
get cash from that,
and buy our financial management products.
Is the house still mine
after the mortgage?
After you mortgage the house,
you can still live in it.
Out of respect for Ms. Wu,
if you sign today, we can appraise
your house at 1.08 million.
My property ownership certificate.
ZHANG LI
Legal aid case.
Deaf guy.
We're taking it?
Something's wrong with you.
This is not like you at all, Qi.
Be serious.
You might as well help me figure out
how to reduce his sentence.
If we don't do this right,
we'll both lose our jobs.
RECORDING
Everything is super clear in the video
and the chain of evidence
is complete as well.
We don't really have any cards to play.
Wait.
He's using sign language.
Let's see if there are
videos shot from other angles.
RESTRICTED AREA,
NO TRESPASSING, NO PARKING
The fight Zhang Xiaochen got into.
On the day that Zhang Xiaochen got
into a fight and stabbed someone,
did you see anything?
- No?
- No.
I didn't see that.
Do you know anyone who bought this?
Don't buy it.
LI QI
If you hear anything, let me know.
What happened with Zhang Xiaochen
the other day
If you hear anything, let me know.
Did you see the incident when it happened?
I know.
My mom recorded a video.
Wait.
Can I see the video?
I have no video.
Did you also purchase products
with Set Sail Finance?
If you help me now,
when any disputes arise about your house,
I'll surely help you too.
There's no need.
Mr. Jin is a great person. We trust him.
I receive dividends every month.
We all made money.
Wait, ma'am.
Didn't you see
what happened to the Zhangs?
It was because he hit someone.
No. He only hit them
because his house was being taken.
They had them mortgage their homes
to a partner real estate company
and use the money to purchase
their own financial management products.
Profiting without investment.
And this Set Sail Finance
is a real piece of work.
Within a short time,
they managed to silence all these people.
Because it was someone else's problem,
nobody wanted to stick their neck out.
What if we try to reduce the sentence
on the grounds that he's Deaf?
Everything you can think of has surely
been considered by the prosecutors.
With Zhang Xiaochen's family's
special conditions,
maybe we can play the sympathy card.
The guy he stabbed ended up in the ICU.
A five-year sentence is lenient enough.
Then we're really at a dead end.
Let's just close up the firm.
Go through the information
of these Deaf families that came in today.
I think quite a few of them
have purchased products from Set Sail.
Let's try our luck again tomorrow.
Okay.
Hello?
Hello. You just called me.
This is my license.
You're a real piece of work.
You can't be honest for a second, can you?
What's it to you?
Your brother's trial is starting soon.
If you get arrested now,
you won't be able to see him.
Get me out.
What are you talking about? Who are you?
I'm a mediation lawyer.
No mediation.
Look. Look where she scratched me!
She was being bullied and I helped her,
but when I looked around,
she was talking to them.
A Deaf and dumb girl. How could she talk?
Sir, I have to explain this to you.
Being Deaf and being mute
are different matters.
The Deaf can also say simple things
through language training.
Stop it, man.
In movies, the Deaf and dumb never talk.
What do movie makers understand?
Officer.
We looked her up.
The girl is indeed hearing-impaired.
Go on with the mediation.
Idiot.
Hearing-impaired, so what?
Are the hearing-impaired free
to scam money out there?
I'm telling you.
People like her need to be handcuffed.
She needs to learn her lesson.
Spend a few days in jail.
- Yes.
- Help me!
Apologize and I'll help you.
Sorry about your phone.
I'll pay for it.
Wait. What are you talking about?
I'm explaining to her
how to survive prison.
I'll help you this time,
but you can't do it again.
Promise?
Why don't you get her parents over here?
Parents?
Act pathetic.
Her parents died when she was little.
It's just her and her brother,
struggling all along.
Not long ago,
the only house that their parents
left them was swindled away.
Her brother hurt someone because of this
and is now in jail.
Three hundred yuan is just two weeks
of living expenses for you.
For this gentleman, 300 yuan
might just mean a few packs of cigarettes.
Now, because of just 300 yuan,
you're going to join
your brother in prison.
Wait, man.
Well, let's drop it.
The girl
looks so sad right now.
Apologize to him.
I'm sorry.
It's all right.
Officer, we accept the mediation.
What?
Thank you
for helping my brother.
EVICTION NOTICE
I'VE ACCEPTED YOUR FRIEND REQUEST.
NOW WE CAN START CHATTING.
Officer Wang,
I've taken her back to the toy factory.
Don't worry.
I'll come find you.
You're right by the toy factory?
Well, let's
Tang.
Morning.
Follow your heart, take it slow
You're up early today.
Actually,
on the list you gave me yesterday,
these households
might have bought Set Sail products.
Take a look.
Good. Well done.
But let's focus
on Zhang Xiaochen's case first.
And leave all this?
These are hard cases to sort out.
How many hours does it take to translate
and communicate with these Deaf people?
You have no idea.
Well, we can't just turn
a deaf ear, can we?
We're not.
Zhang Xiaochen's case first.
After that, I'll help them.
The press.
Whoever is available is all here.
Brilliant.
NO LIQUIDS ALLOWED
What's the level
of your hearing impairment?
90 dB for the left ear,
80 dB for the right.
What does that mean?
It means she can only hear
sounds over 80 dB.
How loud is 80 dB?
The sound of a chainsaw is 80 dB.
More or less.
When you're wearing your hearing aid,
can you hear us?
No.
It merely provides auditory stimulation
to the brain to delay the degeneration.
All right. Take her inside.
Let me know if you need anything.
Tang.
Give me your hearing aid.
Bring the Defendant into the courtroom.
Did they bully you?
I'm fine.
Bring the witness to the stand.
Please recount what happened
on October 13th, 2024.
That day, we went to look
for Zhang Xiaochen at his house.
He wasn't there and we got
into a little fight with his sister.
That girl lost her balance, slipped,
and fell down the stairs.
He grabbed a pair of scissors
and wanted to stab us.
We kept yelling for him to stop,
but he wouldn't listen.
They beat my sister first,
so I fought back.
Does the defense have
any questions for the witness?
No.
Bailiff, escort the witness
out of the courtroom.
Defendant and defense counsel, do you
have any evidence to submit to the court?
DEFENSE COUNSEL
No.
I do.
I do.
It was obtained
just before this court session.
It's a video clip from another angle,
that I think will greatly affect
the conviction and sentencing.
You didn't talk to me about this.
I just got it. There was no time.
Sorry, wrong video.
It's this one.
I'm so sorry. It was really a mix-up.
It's this one.
But upon hearing
such a loud noise just now,
the Defendant showed no reaction at all.
So, what the witness said
about asking him to stop,
I don't think it would've worked
for the Defendant.
From this video clip,
we can see clearly that,
at the time of the incident,
it was the victim Yang Xin who pushed
Zhang Xiaochen's sister, Zhang Xiaorui,
down the stairs first.
While inflicting violence,
please note how the victim
made that gesture.
Meaning "I'm going to kill you."
"I'm going to kill you."
To spare his sister
from the ongoing and unlawful abuse,
the Defendant, in a moment of urgency,
had no choice but to stab the victim.
Even if it exceeded
the bounds of necessity,
I'm pleading with the collegial bench
to reduce the punishment for the Defendant
in accordance
with Article 20 of the Criminal Law.
Moreover, after the stabbing,
he made this gesture.
Does anyone know what it means?
"Call the police."
He wanted to call the police.
This means after the incident,
the Defendant actively asked
his sister to call the police
and waited on location for them to arrive.
Which was equivalent
to turning himself in.
JURY, PRESIDING JUDGE, JURY
More importantly,
at the end of the video clip,
Zhang Xiaochen kept repeating
this movement.
This means "Help!"
He was asking for help. "Help!"
He kept asking for help.
This Deaf boy,
sitting in the defendant's dock,
wanted to call the police
and ask for help,
but no one heard him.
Fantastic.
In accordance with the provisions
of Article 19, Article 20,
Article 67, and Article 234
of the Criminal Law of China,
the judgment is as follows.
All rise.
The Defendant, Zhang Xiaochen,
was found guilty of intentional injury
and sentenced
to six months of imprisonment.
The decision announced today
is an oral judgment.
The written judgment
will be delivered within five days.
If the Defendant disagrees
with this judgment,
-he may, through this court or directly to
-Thank you.
Hujiang City Intermediate People's Court,
make his appeal.
Take care of yourself.
You're kind of dashing today.
Just today? Not always?
I don't always get the chance
to appear dashing, but if...
Not as dashing as today.
- Qi, get over here.
- Qiu.
- I wanted to explain about the video.
- Explain what?
You made me look really good today.
Let me introduce
Director Dong of the Justice Bureau.
- Director Dong.
- Dong Peng.
Thank you, Mr. Li.
You showed legal aid recipients
that the law is fair and just.
It's my job.
Xiaorui, don't worry.
If your brother behaves well,
he might be released early.
Thank you.
She said thank you.
Thank you.
Mr. Qiu, thanks for this.
We'll talk later.
- Goodbye, Director Dong.
- Goodbye.
You couldn't hear that big noise in there?
The noise played in court.
You couldn't hear any of that?
I couldn't.
He took away my hearing aid.
You were worried that, if I wore it,
- it wouldn't have been believable?
- What's wrong with the hearing aid?
When we came in,
wasn't her hearing aid at the entrance?
It's outside, at the door.
- Right there.
- You should've been straight with me.
I could take it off
and go with your performance.
- You should thank Mr. Qiu for his help.
- Please, lady. Stop talking. Please.
No, no need to thank me.
- I'll leave you to it.
- Okay, see you around.
Celebration?
- It's all press.
- I know.
Hi, everyone. My name is Li Qi.
I'm a lawyer and also a CODA.
That's a new word I just learned.
CODA, hearing children of Deaf adults.
Share with us
your understanding of the Deaf.
Imagine the hearing world as a 5G network,
then the Deaf world is only 2G,
in my opinion.
Its data flow and network speed
only allow it to process
the simplest, most direct information.
THE DEAFENING LAWYER IS AWESOME!
Very often,
some of our common senses and subtexts
are lost in the Deaf world.
As the Deaf cannot hear,
they prefer to believe what they can see.
When I was little, I had a Deaf friend.
They called him Little Dumb
and hit him.
When I saw that,
I ran to his rescue without thinking.
Perhaps, ever since then,
I've had this budding thought in my heart
that I carry the mission
of protecting the disadvantaged groups
and I will speak up for them.
I'll help you get a scholarship,
so you'll have the money
to pay off the mortgage.
32nd floor, fast elevator,
facing south, wholesome layout,
and full of sunshine.
This is the best view in our district.
How do you see the result of a lawsuit?
A lawsuit, in essence,
is solving disputes.
Very often, it's about finding balance
and making compromises.
I'll take it.
Welcome, everyone, to our reward tour.
Have you all gotten your VIP cards?
Honorable guests,
please take out your phones,
open our application, and check
your incoming payment for the month.
Now, let's welcome
a very special guest, Ms. Wu.
Ms. Wu has been honored
as our Premium Member of the Quarter.
Clients referred by her
get 10% more on their annual interest.
I brought
my property ownership certificate.
Tell her.
They want to buy more.
Raise the interest rate.
We have a special deal
for clients who sign with us today.
Their annual interest rate
can get as high as 60%.
LIMITED EDITION
Thank you.
A special thanks to Set Sail Finance
for raising a million yuan in donations
for disabled children.
Student representatives,
please come to the stage
to receive scholarships
from Set Sail Finance.
In this place brimming with hope,
we have gathered as one.
Let us join hands
and march forward together
SET SAIL FINANCE, LU SHIHAN
SET SAIL FINANCE, CHEN YIFEI
SET SAIL FINANCE
You need the money.
The immediate interests come first.
Sorry. Excuse me.
Excuse me. Sorry.
Sorry. Excuse me.
Sorry.
Excuse me. Sorry.
We are indeed not the same.
You all right?
You've been invited for tea.
Look at the ocean
and you'll understand
what the power of unity is.
Mr. Jin, what a pleasure.
Please sit.
You're trying to figure out if I'm deaf.
I'm like you, CODA as well.
No wonder the Deaf trust you so much.
Please sit.
My family has always done business.
My parents spent
their whole life having fun
and never worked a single day.
Being disabled or not
isn't the real issue.
This is a world
where the strong prey on the weak.
The distinction
is all about class.
I have a video here for you.
I think you'll find it helpful.
I have no video.
I heard that
quite a few households, like the Zhangs,
have mortgaged their houses
to purchase your products.
Cases like that tend
to drag out for two or three years
and nobody knows
if they'll get the money in the end.
However, I happen to be too sympathetic.
I plan to give
little Miss Zhang a scholarship.
As for the other households,
there's nothing I can do
and you don't have to bother with them.
Mr. Jin,
even if I don't do it,
other lawyers will be waiting
to take the cases.
A lawsuit is like holding a cow.
The plaintiff holds its head
and the defendant holds its tail.
You lawyers simply wait down there
for the milk.
By the way,
I have an international project here
and need a law firm
to provide legal counsel.
I wonder if Mr. Li would be interested
in working together.
SET SAIL FINANCE LEGAL CONSULTATION
SERVICE AGREEMENWork with me
and you'll get both fame and profit.
You have one night to think it over,
but only tonight.
Okay, hang it up.
Mr. Lawyer, congratulations.
Thank you.
Our legal counsel agreement
has been cleared by my team.
No rush.
- Take a look around.
- Okay.
You're doing this now?
Don't you see how busy it is outside?
- Come greet the guests.
- Right away.
- Stop it. Have someone else sort it out.
- Okay.
Welcome.
SET SAIL FINANCE LEGAL CONSULTATION
SERVICE AGREEMENAnd leave all this?
These are hard cases to sort out.
Well, we can't just turn
a deaf ear, can we?
We're not.
Zhang Xiaochen's case first.
After that, I'll help them.
Qiu.
It's my honor to introduce
President Liu of the Elite Alliance.
President Liu, what an honor.
When we get together next time,
bring Mr. Li along.
Sure, that would be great.
- All right.
- Actually, we met before.
- Is that so?
- Once.
- We'll get to know each other better.
- Sure.
In any case, I'm truly happy you made it.
Please do let us know
if you need anything.
- Take a look around.
- No need to stay with us.
- You must be busy.
- Get over here.
- Take care of President Liu.
- Qi.
Those cases
of the Deaf mortgaging their houses,
are we still on top of them?
- Let's cut the ribbon first.
- Qi.
Mr. Li, you came with your wife. Welcome.
- Welcome, Mrs. Li. Come inside.
- Congratulations.
Everyone, please help yourselves
to the food and drinks.
The ceremony is starting soon.
Don't let us keep you, Mr. Li.
RESIGNATION
Mr. Li.
What's the meaning of this?
I saw the contract
you signed with Set Sail.
What are you doing?
Hey.
It's the first day of our law firm
and you're pulling this act on me?
What's wrong with you? What are you doing?
I already gave you my resignation.
What I'm doing is no longer your business.
The deal with Set Sail
is just a one-time thing
and it includes confidentiality clauses.
- Why would I...
- Don't worry.
The shit between you and Set Sail,
you let it rot inside you.
I won't say anything
and I don't have a copy.
I have my professional integrity.
Of course I trust you.
Forget it. What happened
with Set Sail doesn't matter.
What matters is that
we're both about to take off.
Do you understand?
Come. Let's go back to the ribbon-cutting.
The future is limitless.
Zhang Xiaorui's scholarship
was also given by Set Sail.
What a convenient favor.
I almost admire you for that, Li Qi.
We're nearing the auspicious moment.
How long do we have?
- Five minutes.
- Wait for me.
- But they're...
- I said wait for me.
Okay.
Don't be late, Mr. Li.
You read the contract
Zhang Xiaorui's brother signed, right?
It was completely flawless.
They won't get the house back.
If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have
even gotten that 200,000 yuan!
How's that different
from breaking someone's leg
before giving them a pair of crutches?
It wasn't me who broke her leg,
but I did fight for those crutches.
I was helping her!
You were helping yourself!
You were using Xiaorui and your client
to look out for your own interests, Li Qi.
What's wrong with looking out
for my own interests? Answer me.
Am I doing charity here?
I'm a lawyer, not a priest!
Even so, you can't just turn a deaf ear
and climb over those Deaf people
to get higher!
Listen very carefully.
I managed to climb up to where I am
not because of those Deaf people
and not because of you, exam loser!
Me, an exam loser?
Yes! I am an exam loser!
What about you, Li Qi?
Where do you come from?
You really think wearing this suit
every day makes you high-class?
Makes you successful?
You know what, for someone like you,
no matter how high you climb
and how well you dress,
you're still a ghetto lawyer.
When Set Sail tosses a piece of meat,
you wag your tail and run for it.
How are you different from a dog?
Exactly. I'm fed up being the dog.
When I was back in the ghetto,
I was indeed a dog.
Now I just want to have a better life.
What's wrong with that?
Is that your reason to be
an accomplice in their shady business?
- Watch your words.
- How can you betray those who trust you?
- How am I an accomplice?
- What you're doing now
- is part of their shady business!
- Fine.
I am part of their shady business.
So what?
I just want to be a real human being,
speaking loudly on the 32nd floor!
What's wrong with that?
A person can speak from anywhere.
An ant crouching in the basement
is unheard by anyone upstairs.
Society is governed
by the rules of swapping favors
and the survival of the strong.
Society is governed
by the rules of fairness and justice.
Fairness and justice
are the coveted values
of a lawful society.
Fairness and justice
are the ultimate goals of human society.
Fairness and justice
are the fundamentals
of building a harmonious society and...
Grow up.
You may go pursue your ideals,
but I need to survive first.
Come. It's almost time.
Everyone, please move forward.
Sorry about the wait, everyone.
- Get over here.
- Come on, Mr. Li.
- We're waiting for you. Let's do this.
- It's time.
- The firm is open!
- The firm is open!
Why?
Here's how we'll play.
One contract for each game.
- Thank you, Mr. President.
- Thank you, Mr. President.
The house is no longer yours.
When you win, you want to win big.
Touching them together means "fairness."
Both sides are in a
What do you mean?
Three days. Get out.
I want to report a case.
Report a case.
What's that?
I'm reporting a case.
You have a case to report?
- Sit.
- They forced me out.
Write it down.
Write down what you want to say.
I can't read.
Get a sign language translator.
Officer.
It's him.
- I can translate for her.
- Sit.
No rush. Take your time.
Want your son to be safe?
She lost her dog?
She lost her dog.
What happened to my son?
What the hell happened to my son?
Wait.
Help me, Mom.
Don't move.
No. Please.
Behave yourself.
Don't move.
I made a mistake.
Go to the police.
I made a mistake.
Go to the police.
I made a mistake.
Please.
Director Dong.
- Mr. Li.
- Welcome.
You're such a busy man.
- How long have you been here?
- Just now.
Sit.
Yu, come.
Mr. Li, I came here
to ask you for a favor.
Yu,
get Director Dong
some of the white tea we just got.
Go on.
We've learned that some other Deaf people
are in the same situation
as Zhang Xiaochen.
It's likely a scam scheme.
Most of them believed what
the financial management company told them
and are reluctant to call the police
and we understand their concerns.
They're worried that
if they speak to others about this,
they will never get back
their investments of money and houses.
So, I want to ask you, Mr. Li,
to talk to them
and persuade them to come to the police.
Well
Wouldn't it be better if someone
from the Justice Bureau did the talking?
Sometimes, as representatives
of the government,
our hands are rather tied.
We can't really force the civilians
to go to the police
and report their cases.
Mr. Li, you know them well.
Can you, as a friend,
talk some sense into them?
Director Dong,
freshly arrived white tea.
You're too kind, miss.
I don't know very much about tea.
I usually drink plain water.
Why didn't you say so?
- Perrier. Get Director Dong a Perrier.
- Okay.
Yu,
thank you.
It's all right.
They actually work harder than I do.
Sometimes, for a case,
they get so busy with me,
but in the end, it was all for nothing.
Why don't I
contact a professional
sign language lawyer for you?
There are a few famous ones
who have much more experience than I do
with cases involving the Deaf.
I mean it. Excuse me. I have to take this.
Yes, go ahead.
How many times have I told you?
I don't know him well.
Not well. Do you understand?
Stop calling me.
- I have to go back to my meeting.
- Mr. Li.
- I won't take more of your time.
- Stay, Director Dong.
I have to go.
Why don't you take this water
for the road?
Please stay.
I won't walk you out then, Director Dong.
Bye.
Mr. Li,
a Ms. Wu came over today,
wanting you to represent her in a case,
and left this bracelet
as your service fee.
She also has no hearing.
Also has no hearing?
Do I have no hearing?
I'll leave it here.
- I'm telling you. It's nothing.
- Careful.
We'll see you later, Mr. Li.
Bye.
Be careful.
Don't drive.
I can't help you if you drive.
- Be careful, Mr. Li.
- It's all right.
Mr. Li, please let me add you on WeChat.
The formidable young.
You're a true champion of justice.
I'll take on more legal aid cases as well.
Wait.
Take my advice.
Fill your belly first.
Fill your belly, then take the cases.
Mr. Li,
you've influenced many people.
After my classmates saw your video,
they decided to get
into protecting women and children
and promote legal awareness
in rural areas.
Some went to legal aid centers.
Tell them that
I'm sorry.
Some other Deaf people
are in the same situation
as Zhang Xiaochen.
As for this, don't buy it.
I won't. I have no money.
SET SAIL FINANCE, WORRY-FREE PROFITS
ZIQIANG SUPERMARKESEAL
Where's Ma?
Go look in the public toilet
on the next street.
Thanks.
MA ZIQIANG, LIU FANG
The shop was a tough business.
They pay well here
and they provide housing.
It's all right.
Why did you buy it?
I want to
make some money
to find a better nursing home.
I don't want to die alone
at home.
Have some noodles.
Go ahead.
I've got the Wu Song.
I never found the chance
to give it to you.
Son of a dumb!
Little dumb!
- Say something!
- Say something.
- Copying your old man?
- Right.
The old man can't talk,
so you can't either?
Dig in.
You're very lucky.
I never came across this card.
Wait for me here.
Your doorbell is broken. I'll fix it.
MY LUNAR CALENDAR BIRTHDAY
Show some tears
and we'll have money to buy food.
You're really committing a crime here.
Call the police on me.
I'll eat better in prison.
It's okay to lie in order to eat?
Sure.
The immediate interests come first, right?
You taught me that, remember?
You blame me?
You blame me. Is that it?
You know what,
if it weren't for me,
your brother would've gotten
at least five years.
Five years!
You helped my brother
and I thank you for that.
I know why you gave me money.
I do.
You think that,
because I can't hear or talk,
there's nothing I can do.
No.
Look at them.
I'm doing what I can.
What about you?
Say something.
Dumb.
I'm dumb?
I'm dumb?
I told you
to take the money and get your house back.
Did you listen?
I told them not to buy...
Did they listen?
Now you're calling me dumb?
Ever since the day I was born,
I've been talking every day,
but nobody hears me.
If I help you, I'm the good guy.
If I don't help you, I'm an asshole!
I want to have a better life.
What's wrong with that?
I want myself
and others to respect me.
What's wrong with that?
Tell me. What's wrong with that?
- Get your hands off her!
- What's wrong with that?
What kind of man bullies a girl?
- Loser.
- Say something!
- Say something!
- Damn it.
Get him!
- Dumb!
- Dumb!
- You think you're great?
- Dumb!
I can talk.
I can
talk.
Thank you.
I wanted to join them and beat you.
Why didn't you take the money
to get the house back?
That kind of money, I don't want it.
There was someone quite like you.
Who?
When I was at school,
the school made a donation to me.
Someone called me a dumb's son,
so I fought them
and returned the money.
You returned the money,
but asked me to take it?
Because I regret it.
I lost my dignity.
I also lost money.
Soft.
Ms. Wu has locked herself inside
and wants to light the gas.
- You can't get in there, sir.
- I know Ms. Wu.
- Captain Li.
- I grew up here. Let me talk to her.
Everyone grew up here.
Get out of my hair.
I'm a lawyer.
Here's my license.
You know sign language?
I do.
Come on.
Your priority is to calm her down,
but don't forget to ask her
what she wants.
Once you get any feedback,
let us know as soon as possible.
- Okay.
- Be safe.
Don't be scared.
Tell me everything.
Come out and play mahjong.
Dabao is getting married, right?
You want to attend the wedding, right?
Dabao called me greedy.
He said people like us
should be content with not starving.
I want to wear a gold bracelet.
What's wrong with that?
I'll explain it to you.
It was the bad people's fault, not yours.
It's too late.
I recruited a lot of people.
It's not too late. Trust me.
I'll help you file a lawsuit.
I'll catch the bad guys.
Get down.
Trust him.
You'll help with everything?
Everything.
I promise.
Get down.
SMART FINANCIAL CHOICE, WORRY-FREE WEALTH
IN MEMORY OF
I want to thank my mom's friends
for seeing her off for the last time.
When I was three,
I was sent to my grandpa's.
All my life, I never had
a proper chat with my mom.
The last time
I texted her
was to blame her for being scammed.
A Ms. Wu came over today,
wanting you to represent her for a case,
and left this bracelet
as your service fee.
She also has no hearing.
MORTGAGE CONTRACT, PARTY A: ZHANG XIAOCHEN
If that Wu woman wanted to die,
she should've died quietly and far away.
All this mess is annoying.
Don't worry.
I already talked to the PR department.
You don't need to make
any statements or appearances
for this incident.
In a few days,
when our Set Sail physical project
is launched,
you'll have
successfully pivoted your business.
Such an impressive appetite.
Li.
President Liu.
What a coincidence.
Mr. Jin is my client as well.
Sit.
Administration told me that
a client has some legal issues
to consult about.
Turns out it's you.
What is it?
An expected annual interest rate
of 48%
Sounds too good to be true.
Are these people
your new Deaf clients?
Let me cut to the chase.
You're my senior
and we're friends.
How about this?
They don't have to get
their investments back.
They just want their houses back.
Well,
if so, you should've gone
to the real estate company.
What are you doing here at Set Sail?
President Liu,
there's really no need for this act.
Who is the real boss
behind this Thousand Gold Real Estate?
We both know it
all too well.
I don't, actually.
Look up the connection
between Thousand Gold and Set Sail.
It has no connection with Set Sail,
not even business dealings.
Li,
allow me to be harsh with you.
As a lawyer,
how can you forget
basic knowledge like privity of contract?
It's precisely because I'm a lawyer
that I understand clearly
how you set up the third-party company
and some complicated
contractual relationships
to get your hands
on these Deaf people's houses.
That's essentially fraud.
Li,
is your imagination
what got you your law degree?
The accusation of fraud is rather serious.
Do you have any evidence?
- Why don't we do this?
- Mr. President.
We're running out of time.
You have another meeting.
Li, don't get worked up.
Do some more digging.
If you need any help from me,
feel free to call.
With such a professional legal team,
we'll surely be able to help you.
MALIAO LANE
Tang.
You didn't bring an umbrella?
- I have one. Come with me.
- It's fine. My car will be here soon.
Thank you.
- I'm off. Bye.
- All right. Bye.
LEGAL PROFESSIONAL
QUALIFICATION EXAMINATION STUDY GUIDE
I have a job.
- If you have time...
- I'll take it.
I passed the Legal Exam.
Good for you.
I told you rote learning was no good.
Looks like
throwing away your book was right.
Every one of these real estate companies
has Jin Songfeng behind it.
If we can file the case
before he pivots his business,
we can save everyone's houses.
They're awful people.
Can you guarantee our safety?
Trust the law.
She signed.
PARTY A: ZHANG XIAORUI
We have to trust him.
Qi,
we found out that a few of these houses
have been resold a few times.
If we only file a civil economic lawsuit,
even if we win,
it's very hard to get the houses back.
- Then there's only one way left.
- Thank you.
Have all of them step up and testify
to form a complete chain of evidence
and we have a chance
of pushing for a criminal case.
We have to win the case
before he gets away clean.
Even though these kids
can neither hear nor speak,
I always keep an eye on them.
That's why our company established
the Artificial Intelligence,
Technology Hears the Future
educational scholarship,
so that these children
with hearing impairments
are able to
live and grow
in a carefree and happy way.
Mr. Jin, do you have anything to say
about Set Sail's involvement
in several housing contract disputes?
It's nothing but a smear campaign
by our competitors.
I hereby
promise all our clients
that I will take legal action
and fight the slanderers
till the end.
We got a call from the courthouse.
The toy factory housing dispute cases
are scheduled for trial shortly.
This Li Qi
I'm afraid it's not that simple.
I think he wants to turn it
into a criminal case.
He also applied to stream the trial live.
I think he wants to blow it up.
Once the criminal case is filed,
all the company's funds will be frozen.
By then, it'll be difficult
for us to get out.
How can he turn it?
If enough people testify in court
and the court decides
they're not isolated incidents,
the cases could be handed over
to the police,
which would put us in a tight spot.
We don't know what he has up his sleeve,
so you'd better not show up in court.
Didn't you hear
what I just told the press?
If I don't go to court,
how can we resolve the controversy?
Then
let's keep them out of court.
Zhang Xiaorui's case
is going to court tomorrow.
I need your help.
You're not just plaintiffs,
but also each other's witnesses.
Who are you?
Get your boss.
Mr. Li!
Mr. Li!
What are you doing?
Get down!
Get down!
- Don't move.
- Sulfuric acid powder.
Stand there and don't move!
What are you doing?
It's not me.
Ms. Pan, what is this?
She has something to say.
My son got beaten up because of him.
Do not go to him
for the lawsuit.
He forced you to say that, didn't he?
You
Are on someone's payroll
and doing his bidding.
You took the money.
We can make money quietly
or die together.
I'm dropping the case.
Don't be afraid, everyone.
Trust the law.
Trust me.
Tang, call the police.
Next time,
it will be real.
Mr. Jin wants to have dinner with you.
Don't be scared.
If we withdraw the lawsuit now,
we'll lose everything.
Please trust us.
We will help you.
In this world,
there are too many greedy people
and not enough crooks to go around.
You can't save the others.
Even if I can't save them,
it's simply wrong to harm them.
If you hadn't started this mess,
all of them
would still have had
the real money I handed out.
You are the one who harmed them.
I will help you.
You're a lawyer.
You don't have to be scared.
But we are.
I will help you.
You can't withdraw.
There's still a chance
to get your house back.
If I lose the money, I can make it back.
If I lose my life,
what will happen to my family?
- You don't want the drum set anymore?
- Nobody hears it anyway.
For the service fee,
fill in the number yourself.
SET SAIL AI MANUFACTURING INVESTMENT PLAN
LEGAL CONSULTATION SERVICE AGREEMENI'll pass.
The ghetto firm is not so bad.
Remember. You took my money.
If you start a war,
you're the one destroyed.
It's hard to get up to the 32nd floor,
but very easy
to fall off.
Those people want to silence us.
We are Deaf, but we are not dumb.
Our voices deserve to be heard.
I will definitely go through
with this lawsuit
and help you get your houses back.
Maybe we won't succeed,
but only by all speaking up
do we have a chance to be heard.
I will try my best to keep you safe.
Trust me.
Trust me this once.
We need to speak up.
Speak up!
Taste the good stuff
while you have the chance.
This drink
is worth a month's profit at your firm.
You're not withdrawing
the lawsuit, are you?
Absolutely not.
Even if you're the only one,
we'll stick it out till the end.
The recent dispute between Deaf investors
and Set Sail Finance
has attracted widespread attention.
The court proceedings
will be live streamed
on the Open Court Trial website.
Mr. Li,
we found that these real estate companies
have been dissolved.
They moved fast.
We have to turn this
into a criminal case today.
If all the money is transferred,
their houses will be lost forever.
What can we do then?
They won't appear in court.
At the People's Court
of Shenhong District, Hujiang City,
the public hearing
of Zhang Xiaochen and Zhang Xiaorui
versus Set Sail Finance Co. Ltd.
Regarding contract invalidation
is happening today.
The court is now in session.
Next, the Plaintiffs will state
the claims of the lawsuit
and the facts and legal basis
on which they're grounded.
Presiding Judge,
as my client is Deaf,
I request that the necessary information
be translated into sign language.
PRESIDING JUDGE
Claims.
One, to confirm that
the housing mortgage contract
between the Plaintiffs
and Defendant is invalid.
Two, to order the Defendant
to assist the Plaintiffs
in canceling the mortgage registration.
LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE
The contract is void.
Cancel the mortgage registration.
I want to get
my brother's and my house back.
According to current law,
hearing impairment does not affect
one's capacity for civil conduct.
This is an investment contract.
You never said anything
while you were making money.
Now, because of losses
incurred by market fluctuation,
you want to claim the contract is invalid?
That's simply unfair.
This is not a real investment contract.
The Defendant lured them in
with promises of high returns,
without any actual project to back it up.
This is essentially an act of fraud.
In our contract,
there are multiple clear reminders
that investing carries risks.
The Plaintiffs
willingly mortgaged their house,
so it was a normal business activity.
Well, according to the Defendant,
if a merchant labels a wallet
with a theft risk warning,
does that mean theft is a legal action?
The timing of the Defendant's failure
to pay investment returns
and the timing
of my clients' houses being sold
are extremely close.
It's apparent that the fisherman
was dragging in the net
and no longer needed the bait.
Thus, I conclude that
the Defendant has engaged in fraud
with the aim of unlawful appropriation.
If they fail to repay the loan
when it is due,
my client has the right
to dispose of the property.
It was written in the contract
in black and white.
I must caution opposing counsel
against improper leading.
Regarding Plaintiffs' allegation that
the Defendant committed contract fraud,
I'd like to ask if the Plaintiffs have
any additional evidence or testimony.
SET SAIL FINANCE LEGAL CONSULTATION
SERVICE AGREEMENLEGAL REPRESENTATIVE
Yes.
This false service contract
was signed in person
by Jin Songfeng and me.
When I was Zhang Xiaochen's defense
attorney for the intentional injury case
What's the meaning of this?
-Jin Songfeng gave me 300,000 yuan
-He hasn't given up.
As hush money to keep me
from further investigating
other Deaf people
purchasing Set Sail financial products
and threatened me not to appear in court.
Therefore,
the Defendant had premeditated
to defraud my clients of their property.
In order to win,
- he's going all in.
- Exactly.
I couldn't tell at all.
Order in the court.
Defendant.
- Think it through.
- During Zhang Xiaochen's assault case,
did you contact Plaintiff's attorney
- Be my enemy.
- And request them to cease investigation?
- And you're the one going down.
- This was a straightforward civil dispute.
- I will fight you till the end.
- I don't get why Plaintiff's attorney
insists on labeling us as criminals.
I suggest we return
to the key issues of this case,
but with respect to
the civil dispute case before this court,
for humanitarian reasons,
my client would like to provide cash
equivalent to the property's value
as a relief fund
to help the Plaintiffs
through this hard time.
PLAINTIFF, LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE
Is the Defendant's
settlement proposal accepted?
No.
Do the Plaintiffs have
any other evidence to provide?
Presiding Judge,
I have 11 other contracts, all signed
by Deaf clients and Set Sail Finance,
to mortgage their houses
to purchase financial products,
all formatted identically
to the one signed by Zhang Xiaochen.
Presiding Judge,
this is irrelevant to this case.
Each of these contracts
was signed by the Defendant.
They're all documents
authorizing property transfers,
signed by the Deaf
without knowing its implications.
Therefore, behind this
is a case of organized crime
with numerous victims.
And these 11 contracts
only represent the tip of the iceberg.
I petition the collegial bench,
in accordance with Article 153
of the Civil Procedure Law,
to suspend the proceedings
and refer the case
to the public security authorities.
Presiding Judge,
I challenge the authenticity,
relevance, and legality
of the evidence presented
by Plaintiffs' counsel in court.
JUDGE, PRESIDING JUDGE, JUDGE, CLERK
Plaintiffs' counsel,
to prove the authenticity
of these contracts,
can all 11 signatories of these contracts,
whom you previously applied
to testify in court, be present?
Plaintiffs' counsel,
do you have anything else to add?
Presiding Judge,
on this day,
even if I'm able
to obtain compensation for my clients,
I'm afraid we will lose.
I once told a friend
that this society is governed by the rule
of the strong preying on the weak,
but he told me
that it's governed by the rule
of fairness
and justice.
I stand here today
to prove that I was wrong.
I did my best.
It's okay.
JUDGE, PRESIDING JUDGE, JUDGE, CLERK
Due to the submission
of new physical evidence,
the bench needs to adjourn
to deliberate on its admissibility.
The court is now back in session.
Plaintiffs' counsel,
if the 11 people you mentioned
cannot be present,
due to the absence of witness testimony,
the authenticity of the contracts
cannot be verified.
The collegial bench
will only deliberate
on the matters of this case.
Do the Plaintiffs have
any other evidence or testimonies?
Yes.
This false service contract
was signed in person
by Jin Songfeng and me.
When I was Zhang Xiaochen's defense
attorney for the intentional injury case
He hasn't given up.
Jin Songfeng gave me
300,000 yuan as hush money
to keep me from further investigating
All my life, I've heard people call
our home "the dumb building."
So I tried so hard to get out
and prove that I was different from you.
But then I realized that everything I own
has been gained
by not hearing and not speaking.
I'm the dumb one.
Today, only Zhang Xiaorui stepped up
to speak up for herself.
Now, I will bravely speak up
for my dignity.
If you want justice,
you have to fight for it yourself.
There is no savior in this world.
We have to be our own heroes.
to defraud my client of their property.
COURT TRIAL LIVE STREAM
You should go.
Hearing-impaired individuals present,
please register.
Pan Minghua.
Thank you.
Xie Guoxi.
Guo Dafang.
Tang Xiaodan.
Sun Tianyou.
Zhang Li.
Xu Jingyi.
Dong Changcheng.
Wu Yanmei.
The witness testimonies above
have sufficiently proven
the possibility of criminal activity
in this case.
I petition again to the Presiding Judge,
in accordance with Article 153
of the Civil Procedure Law,
to suspend the proceedings and refer this
to the public security authorities.
After deliberation,
the collegial bench has decided that,
due to suspected criminal activity,
the proceedings in this case
are to be suspended
and the relevant criminal evidence
will be handed over
to public security authorities.
The court is now adjourned.
Did we win?
We won.
Get lost!
It's not over yet.
Mr. Jin,
enjoy some good food
while you still have the chance.
You all right, Mr. Li?
I'm all right.
It was brilliant. Thank you.
Let's go. I'm willing to cooperate
with your further investigation.
Good. Come on.
You all right?
It's okay.
DRIVEN BY THE JOINT EFFORTS
OF LI QI AND NUMEROUS VICTIMS,
THE PUBLIC SECURITY AUTHORITIES FILED
A CASE AND INITIATED AN INVESTIGATION.
In all fraud schemes,
there is a very important word.
Trust.
Once it's established,
both the Deaf and the hearing
are easy to manipulate.
My parents were both Deaf.
Since I was little,
I grew up in this community.
I know them well
and I know sign language.
Whatever stories I make up,
they always believe me.
I am willing
to return the illicit proceeds
and make amends.
JIN SONGFENG HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY
OF FUNDRAISING FRAUD,
INTENTIONAL INJURY, AND ORGANIZING
AND LEADING A MAFIA-STYLE ORGANIZATION.
THE COURT HAS DECIDED
TO SENTENCE HIM TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT,
WITH A COMBINED CONFISCATION
OF ALL PERSONAL PROPERTY.
JIN SONGFENG'S ASSOCIATES
HAVE BEEN SENTENCED
IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE CRIMINAL LAW OF CHINA.
AFTER THE JUDGMENT TOOK EFFECT,
LI QI, REPRESENTING THE DEAF VICTIMS,
COMMUNICATED WITH
RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS TO INITIATE
CRIMINAL RULING PROCEDURES
AND CIVIL LITIGATION PROCESSES.
THESE EFFORTS AIM TO FACILITATE
THE RECOVERY AND RESTITUTION
OF ILLICIT FUNDS AND PROPERTIES
AND RESTORE VICTIMS' PROPERTY RIGHTS.
THE RELEVANT CIVIL CASES AND JUDICIAL
PROCEEDINGS ARE STILL ONGOING.
LI QI HAS BEEN ADMINISTRATIVELY
PENALIZED FOR VIOLATING
LAWYER PROFESSIONAL ETHICS,
RECEIVING A SIX-MONTH SUSPENSION
AND A FINE OF 10,000 YUAN.
Since opposing counsel
is resorting to dirty tricks,
we'll change our tactics as well,
maybe even turn it into a criminal case.
With such cases,
we have quite a few successful precedents.
How much does he owe you now?
920 yuan.
- That much?
- My living expenses for two months.
Don't worry.
The most experienced lawyer in the city
in such cases is right here.
Mr. Tang.
This client needs to claim
his unpaid wages, 920 yuan.
Not a small sum.
Please sit.
- Get a glass of water.
- Sure.
Rest assured with Mr. Tang.
Mr. Ma,
the client asks for a glass of Perrier.
Okay. Wait.
Look, usually,
there are these types of wage arrears.
You can browse through it.
You should read more of this now.
Wait.
HUJIANG FINE ARTS INSTITUTE
ACCEPTANCE LETTER
Is this for real?
Yes.
Awesome.
Tang.
Xiaorui got in!
She got in!
- Brilliant.
- Brilliant.
LOVE
THANK YOU
SUCCESS
HELP
PROTECPROTECTION
EXCEED
MEDIATION
WEALTH
LAW
CRIME
STRIVE
DEDICATION
FAIRNESS
HOME
STRONG
IDEAL
ATTORNEY
DREAM
UNFAMILIAR
AWESOME
RIGHTS
KINDNESS
APPEAL
PETITION
UNITY
WARMTH
HOPE
TRUSHAPPINESS
COURAGE
PLAINTIFF
JUSTICE
EVIDENCE
PROOF
PROGRESS
HARMONY
JOY
PROGRESS
PROMISE
A DEAFENING NOISE
is like being shrouded in a veil.
Those with moderate hearing loss
are like wearing thick earplugs.
Those with severe cases essentially live
in a world of silence
or only distorted vibrations.
I'm not lying.
When our Dong was this little
and still crawling on the floor,
my sister was gone.
I raised him
and I'm counting on him
to take care of me till the end.
He went to work at that place
and ended up with such a huge accident.
Mr. Jiang can tell you
what a mess Dong's legs have become.
Even if he can stand again,
there's no doubt
he'll have a disability.
If he wants to go out there
and be a street sweeper,
they wouldn't want him.
They've ruined his life
and all I'm asking for
is a million and a half.
Is that too much?
Not at all, right?
According to our research,
the location of your nephew's accident
was not the same as my client's office.
The company must've sent him.
Any records?
- What?
- If you have records of the assignment,
please provide them as proof.
The minimum we'll accept is 1.3 million.
All the transactions
were done between private accounts.
You're a lawyer too, Mr. Jiang.
You know these can't prove
any employment relationship between them.
Excuse me. I have to take this.
Go ahead.
- This is
- This does put us at an advantage.
The second trial is around the corner
and we can apply
for an appraisal of labor capacity.
You think they can afford to drag it out?
See you in court.
That was another case.
Where were we?
One million
1.3 million.
Right.
See you in court.
1.1.
Sorry.
Mr. Li,
well, what do you suggest?
As a humanitarian gesture,
my client is willing to provide
compensation of 300,000 yuan.
I have the agreement here.
If you sign it right now,
the money can be transferred immediately.
Ma'am,
think about it.
People at Origin of Thinking Law Firm
are really quite good
at labor disputes like this,
but we can't sign right now.
We wait? What if we wait
and I end up with nothing?
Don't worry. I will see it through.
We booked this conference room.
You are
Sorry, we stayed too long.
We'll be out of here soon.
Give us a minute.
All right. Keep calm.
It's okay.
If you haven't made up your mind,
we can have another meeting.
I don't think money
is the real issue here.
But once the trial starts,
it will take a great toll on Dong.
Hey, wait.
YAN TONG
Bye.
LI QI, GOLD MEDAL LAWYER
I just checked.
Nobody booked the conference room.
No?
It was him.
Sir, wait.
Sir.
THIS FILM IS PARTIALLY BASED ON
THE EXPERIENCES OF ZHANG QI, A CODA
MALIAO LANE
PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES
Debt disputes, marriage and family
affairs, and work injury compensation.
Our lawyers are the most reliable.
Take a look.
Ms. Gu.
Director Li.
In Mr. Han's case, I'll transfer
your cut to your online account.
Thanks. I'll refer all my cases to you.
Keep them for yourself.
LEGAL CONSULTATION
Qi, another big case?
Drinks tonight?
I'm busy.
You make all this money every day.
Why are you hanging out here with us?
Because of you, of course.
What's that got to do with me?
Exactly. What's that got to do with you?
I'm divorcing you. I swear!
Come to me for the divorce.
Quit playing card games at my doorstep.
No wonder you never make any money.
Mr. Zhang, heading out?
To attend a court hearing.
A legal aid case.
- How was your day? Good?
- Good.
- Later then.
- Later.
Pack it up.
8,240.
Not a penny paid.
LEGAL CONSULTATION
I told him I had no money for food
and he gave me 200 yuan.
When I asked him again for my pay,
he stopped answering the phone.
Your situation here is
Don't worry, man.
We'll definitely help you.
You can sign a power of attorney first.
Thank you.
For case filing
and court representation, 3,000 yuan.
But you can pay when we win...
For drafting a lawsuit petition,
only 300 yuan.
One hundred. Two hundred.
260 yuan.
That'll do. It's okay.
There's a code for you to scan.
Take care.
Sorry, we haven't been much help.
Come. Get over here.
What are you doing?
How many times have I told you?
Who are these people?
Poor people. Ordinary people.
What do ordinary people mean?
Ordinary means of payment.
We run a law firm here.
When you take a case,
is it for fame or profit?
You have to pick at least one.
That's not right.
LEGAL PROFESSIONAL
QUALIFICATION EXAMINATION STUDY GUIDE
The third principle
of Advancing the Rule of Law.
All are equal
Pass the National Legal Exam first.
But given our firm's location,
those are the only cases that end up here.
It's not like I want it that way.
Taking on better cases and standing
at the top of the legal world.
Don't you want that?
What's this?
SETTLEMENT AGREEMENShe signed it!
The seat of legal counsel
at Mr. Han's company
Is within my grasp.
I told you not to sign that agreement,
but you simply wouldn't listen.
What's the use of appealing now?
You're quite a talker now.
Why didn't you speak much
in court just now?
Because you signed that agreement!
Forget it.
We lost. What more is there to say?
- Thank you, Mr. Li. You're a hero.
- All that effort for nothing.
It's my job.
All right, let's have dinner someday.
Sure.
Mr. Han,
how forgetful I am.
I forgot
about the legal counsel agreement.
When you have time,
I'd like to go to your company
to discuss representing you legally.
I'm going on a business trip.
Let's talk when I get back.
Are you satisfied
with how the case turned out?
Yes. You're good.
So you're not happy with my rates?
I gave you the best deal possible.
I rounded it down.
That's a different matter entirely.
I'll transfer
another 2,000 yuan to you now.
No, that's not what I meant.
In fact, we've prepared
a very detailed service proposal for you.
Mr. Li,
with labor contract disputes,
you're quite capable,
but when it comes
to legal counsel for my company,
we have certain requirements
of the legal firm we work with.
Mr. Han.
Let me do a briefing. Ten minutes.
All right.
So tell me.
Shall we do it at the Origin
of Thinking Law Firm in the IF Tower
or your ghetto firm in Maliao Lane?
Mr. Han.
You can wire the 2,000 yuan
to the same account as before.
What?
You. Director Li.
I'm a lawyer, not a director.
Who sent you?
Old man Ma said
Director Li can help my brother.
What happened to your brother?
He was taken by the police.
If the police took your brother away,
it means he did something wrong.
No.
It was them.
They lied to him.
They lied to him. He was taken.
Then find the guys who lied to him.
Wait.
Legal fee.
Help me.
I can't.
My rate for an hour is 2,000 yuan.
Ask someone else.
Your family lives
in the factory compound as well.
We're the same.
Same.
Are we the same?
You're too young.
Moral coercion doesn't suit you.
- Qiu.
- My junior, are you free tonight?
No. Same.
I was with your secretary last time.
- Okay.
- We hit it off well.
Have a drink.
- I was listening to my uncle about
- Qiu.
My man, come here.
Let me do the introduction.
This is my junior schoolmate.
We have the same watch.
Go on and do a few swings.
I'll be right there.
- Sure, we'll talk later.
- Go ahead.
Press here, sir.
I know that.
All right.
Let's start.
Li Qi.
Qiu.
I asked you to come here for a favor.
You have to help me out.
Take a look.
I asked for you
because this kid is Deaf as well.
He mortgaged his house
to a financial management company
and lost the money.
The company came to take the house
and a fight broke out.
He stabbed someone.
A surveillance camera recorded everything,
but we still hope
to get a lenient sentence.
It's too hard for us to talk to them.
They only trust those
who know sign language.
They lied to him.
They lied to him. He was taken.
You know the Deaf community
better than anyone.
You're our best shot.
It's an assignment from above.
I can't say no.
As for you, try to make me look good
and I'll take care of you.
I know them only too well.
When it comes to these people,
it's often not worth the effort.
Qiu, to be honest,
I probably can't help you with this.
Let me ask around for another lawyer
who knows sign language.
All right.
Let's drop it for now. Have a drink.
That guy standing
is President Liu
of the Elite Lawyers Alliance.
I can have him recommend a company
for you to serve as legal counsel for.
Great. Thank you, Qiu.
I'll leave this here for you.
If you're worried about your performance,
think of it as a translation job.
I've got you covered.
- Qiu, I...
- Qi.
You just started playing golf, right?
Start with the practice club.
Think about it.
MALIAO LANE
EXEMPLAR LAW FIRM
I didn't guarantee we'd win this
because I didn't want
to violate any regulations.
But you know
how many years
we've been next to the courthouse.
We know everyone there.
Why don't we meet up tomorrow?
YOU'RE NOT THEIR FRIEND YETHEY SAY THAT GOOD KIDS
GIVE THEIR FATHERS POCKET MONEY.
Ms. Liu, the water flow in our toilet
is still a problem.
Would you consider getting a new one?
Shall we do it at the Origin
of Thinking Law Firm in the IF Tower
or your ghetto firm in Maliao Lane?
RENT IS DUE IN THREE DAYS.
YOU PAY. I'll FIX THE TOILET.
Li Qi,
we are aware
of your family's financial difficulties
and have organized a fund raising for you.
Prepare a speech.
The theme is My Deaf Parents.
Sir,
I'd like to skip that.
The fees you owe
for this semester will be cleared.
My parents are both Deaf,
so we often have to face the challenges
caused by financial distress.
Qiu,
that legal aid case,
can we talk about fees?
I want to take it.
Thank you.
Mr. Jin,
your fund dividends are in again.
23,000 yuan.
WEALTH
Five thousand more than last month.
Five thousand more than last month.
That's great.
HUJIANG FIRST TOY FACTORY
RESTRICTED AREA,
NO TRESPASSING, NO PARKING
Dinner time.
Give me a minute.
Take a look, guys.
Your gold bracelet is so pretty.
It costs more than 20,000 yuan.
Keep it down.
None of your business.
The big lawyer's back.
Draw a tile for me.
Good hand.
How much can you make doing this?
You already have no hearing.
Now you want to lose your eyesight too?
It's all right.
If I make ten more bucks today,
I'll have better food at the nursing home.
Get in here.
I have Song Jiang now.
Awesome.
And the Wu Song card?
Not yet.
Drink this.
No, it's okay.
ZHANG XIAOCHEN, ZHANG XIAORUI
You know these two?
The Zhang siblings.
Such rotten luck.
Parents dead.
Brother in jail.
You know where she is?
Look at Lotus Street.
No, it's okay.
Keep looking for those cards for me.
As for this, don't buy it.
I won't. I have no money.
Now that you're back,
go visit your mother.
Take this. Go on.
Go.
Okay. Get back.
Greed blinds one to conscience.
Only heartless, unfilial sons
deserved repeated lashes.
They grow up and forget their parents.
Son, you're not having dinner with us?
I'm busy.
I just came here to pay respect to Mom.
Give me some more money.
I want to take my girlfriend on a trip.
No more money.
How am I supposed to live without money?
Or I could come live with you
at the law firm.
SON: 1,000 YUAN, ACCEPT PAYMENAs a unicorn in the financial
lending assistance sector,
Set Sail Finance Holdings Co., Ltd.
Has shown strong performance lately.
Its diversified business portfolio
and one-stop smart financial service model
have achieved remarkable results.
With experienced financial analysts
to analyze
Stinky dumb.
I'm talking about money. Money!
Get it out!
Money!
Get it out!
- What's going on here?
- What are you up to?
- Don't go.
- Hello, 110.
It's okay.
What happened?
Bullying the disabled. What scums!
It's okay. Here. Take this.
Take it.
It's okay.
What is this?
I thought we had a deal.
It's November 27th, 6:13 p.m.
Location is Lotus Street.
The illegal proceeds are around 200 yuan.
This is recorded as evidence.
Mr. Policeman,
it was this little girl's idea.
- That's right.
- This doesn't concern you. Go.
Go.
Talk to me.
I'm making money for your lawyer's fee.
Two thousand per hour.
I can help your brother
for free.
Tell me. That day...
Wait.
Why are you helping me?
We are
almost the same.
We are almost the same?
You think I'm stupid?
The government sent a lawyer.
A free one.
That's me.
- You.
- That's me.
Let me add you on WeChat.
I'll scan you.
Give me the phone!
Quite the runner you are.
Zhang Xiaorui!
How is my sister?
She's fine.
She asked me to help you.
Tell me what happened.
Piss off!
What are you doing?
This is what you bought, right?
They told us to mortgage the house
and invest the money.
Profit guaranteed.
The house would still be mine.
I wanted to make
some college money for my sister.
I didn't know they were crooks.
I saw many people
mortgage their houses and make money,
so I wanted to try it too.
It was all my fault.
The 270,000 you subscribed to
yielded 9,800 this month.
Received.
Ms. Wu, you made money.
Lots of money.
I brought some friends over to buy more.
Stick together
to make more money.
I want to buy it,
but I don't have any cash right now.
There are real estate companies
we work with.
You can mortgage your house to us,
get cash from that,
and buy our financial management products.
Is the house still mine
after the mortgage?
After you mortgage the house,
you can still live in it.
Out of respect for Ms. Wu,
if you sign today, we can appraise
your house at 1.08 million.
My property ownership certificate.
ZHANG LI
Legal aid case.
Deaf guy.
We're taking it?
Something's wrong with you.
This is not like you at all, Qi.
Be serious.
You might as well help me figure out
how to reduce his sentence.
If we don't do this right,
we'll both lose our jobs.
RECORDING
Everything is super clear in the video
and the chain of evidence
is complete as well.
We don't really have any cards to play.
Wait.
He's using sign language.
Let's see if there are
videos shot from other angles.
RESTRICTED AREA,
NO TRESPASSING, NO PARKING
The fight Zhang Xiaochen got into.
On the day that Zhang Xiaochen got
into a fight and stabbed someone,
did you see anything?
- No?
- No.
I didn't see that.
Do you know anyone who bought this?
Don't buy it.
LI QI
If you hear anything, let me know.
What happened with Zhang Xiaochen
the other day
If you hear anything, let me know.
Did you see the incident when it happened?
I know.
My mom recorded a video.
Wait.
Can I see the video?
I have no video.
Did you also purchase products
with Set Sail Finance?
If you help me now,
when any disputes arise about your house,
I'll surely help you too.
There's no need.
Mr. Jin is a great person. We trust him.
I receive dividends every month.
We all made money.
Wait, ma'am.
Didn't you see
what happened to the Zhangs?
It was because he hit someone.
No. He only hit them
because his house was being taken.
They had them mortgage their homes
to a partner real estate company
and use the money to purchase
their own financial management products.
Profiting without investment.
And this Set Sail Finance
is a real piece of work.
Within a short time,
they managed to silence all these people.
Because it was someone else's problem,
nobody wanted to stick their neck out.
What if we try to reduce the sentence
on the grounds that he's Deaf?
Everything you can think of has surely
been considered by the prosecutors.
With Zhang Xiaochen's family's
special conditions,
maybe we can play the sympathy card.
The guy he stabbed ended up in the ICU.
A five-year sentence is lenient enough.
Then we're really at a dead end.
Let's just close up the firm.
Go through the information
of these Deaf families that came in today.
I think quite a few of them
have purchased products from Set Sail.
Let's try our luck again tomorrow.
Okay.
Hello?
Hello. You just called me.
This is my license.
You're a real piece of work.
You can't be honest for a second, can you?
What's it to you?
Your brother's trial is starting soon.
If you get arrested now,
you won't be able to see him.
Get me out.
What are you talking about? Who are you?
I'm a mediation lawyer.
No mediation.
Look. Look where she scratched me!
She was being bullied and I helped her,
but when I looked around,
she was talking to them.
A Deaf and dumb girl. How could she talk?
Sir, I have to explain this to you.
Being Deaf and being mute
are different matters.
The Deaf can also say simple things
through language training.
Stop it, man.
In movies, the Deaf and dumb never talk.
What do movie makers understand?
Officer.
We looked her up.
The girl is indeed hearing-impaired.
Go on with the mediation.
Idiot.
Hearing-impaired, so what?
Are the hearing-impaired free
to scam money out there?
I'm telling you.
People like her need to be handcuffed.
She needs to learn her lesson.
Spend a few days in jail.
- Yes.
- Help me!
Apologize and I'll help you.
Sorry about your phone.
I'll pay for it.
Wait. What are you talking about?
I'm explaining to her
how to survive prison.
I'll help you this time,
but you can't do it again.
Promise?
Why don't you get her parents over here?
Parents?
Act pathetic.
Her parents died when she was little.
It's just her and her brother,
struggling all along.
Not long ago,
the only house that their parents
left them was swindled away.
Her brother hurt someone because of this
and is now in jail.
Three hundred yuan is just two weeks
of living expenses for you.
For this gentleman, 300 yuan
might just mean a few packs of cigarettes.
Now, because of just 300 yuan,
you're going to join
your brother in prison.
Wait, man.
Well, let's drop it.
The girl
looks so sad right now.
Apologize to him.
I'm sorry.
It's all right.
Officer, we accept the mediation.
What?
Thank you
for helping my brother.
EVICTION NOTICE
I'VE ACCEPTED YOUR FRIEND REQUEST.
NOW WE CAN START CHATTING.
Officer Wang,
I've taken her back to the toy factory.
Don't worry.
I'll come find you.
You're right by the toy factory?
Well, let's
Tang.
Morning.
Follow your heart, take it slow
You're up early today.
Actually,
on the list you gave me yesterday,
these households
might have bought Set Sail products.
Take a look.
Good. Well done.
But let's focus
on Zhang Xiaochen's case first.
And leave all this?
These are hard cases to sort out.
How many hours does it take to translate
and communicate with these Deaf people?
You have no idea.
Well, we can't just turn
a deaf ear, can we?
We're not.
Zhang Xiaochen's case first.
After that, I'll help them.
The press.
Whoever is available is all here.
Brilliant.
NO LIQUIDS ALLOWED
What's the level
of your hearing impairment?
90 dB for the left ear,
80 dB for the right.
What does that mean?
It means she can only hear
sounds over 80 dB.
How loud is 80 dB?
The sound of a chainsaw is 80 dB.
More or less.
When you're wearing your hearing aid,
can you hear us?
No.
It merely provides auditory stimulation
to the brain to delay the degeneration.
All right. Take her inside.
Let me know if you need anything.
Tang.
Give me your hearing aid.
Bring the Defendant into the courtroom.
Did they bully you?
I'm fine.
Bring the witness to the stand.
Please recount what happened
on October 13th, 2024.
That day, we went to look
for Zhang Xiaochen at his house.
He wasn't there and we got
into a little fight with his sister.
That girl lost her balance, slipped,
and fell down the stairs.
He grabbed a pair of scissors
and wanted to stab us.
We kept yelling for him to stop,
but he wouldn't listen.
They beat my sister first,
so I fought back.
Does the defense have
any questions for the witness?
No.
Bailiff, escort the witness
out of the courtroom.
Defendant and defense counsel, do you
have any evidence to submit to the court?
DEFENSE COUNSEL
No.
I do.
I do.
It was obtained
just before this court session.
It's a video clip from another angle,
that I think will greatly affect
the conviction and sentencing.
You didn't talk to me about this.
I just got it. There was no time.
Sorry, wrong video.
It's this one.
I'm so sorry. It was really a mix-up.
It's this one.
But upon hearing
such a loud noise just now,
the Defendant showed no reaction at all.
So, what the witness said
about asking him to stop,
I don't think it would've worked
for the Defendant.
From this video clip,
we can see clearly that,
at the time of the incident,
it was the victim Yang Xin who pushed
Zhang Xiaochen's sister, Zhang Xiaorui,
down the stairs first.
While inflicting violence,
please note how the victim
made that gesture.
Meaning "I'm going to kill you."
"I'm going to kill you."
To spare his sister
from the ongoing and unlawful abuse,
the Defendant, in a moment of urgency,
had no choice but to stab the victim.
Even if it exceeded
the bounds of necessity,
I'm pleading with the collegial bench
to reduce the punishment for the Defendant
in accordance
with Article 20 of the Criminal Law.
Moreover, after the stabbing,
he made this gesture.
Does anyone know what it means?
"Call the police."
He wanted to call the police.
This means after the incident,
the Defendant actively asked
his sister to call the police
and waited on location for them to arrive.
Which was equivalent
to turning himself in.
JURY, PRESIDING JUDGE, JURY
More importantly,
at the end of the video clip,
Zhang Xiaochen kept repeating
this movement.
This means "Help!"
He was asking for help. "Help!"
He kept asking for help.
This Deaf boy,
sitting in the defendant's dock,
wanted to call the police
and ask for help,
but no one heard him.
Fantastic.
In accordance with the provisions
of Article 19, Article 20,
Article 67, and Article 234
of the Criminal Law of China,
the judgment is as follows.
All rise.
The Defendant, Zhang Xiaochen,
was found guilty of intentional injury
and sentenced
to six months of imprisonment.
The decision announced today
is an oral judgment.
The written judgment
will be delivered within five days.
If the Defendant disagrees
with this judgment,
-he may, through this court or directly to
-Thank you.
Hujiang City Intermediate People's Court,
make his appeal.
Take care of yourself.
You're kind of dashing today.
Just today? Not always?
I don't always get the chance
to appear dashing, but if...
Not as dashing as today.
- Qi, get over here.
- Qiu.
- I wanted to explain about the video.
- Explain what?
You made me look really good today.
Let me introduce
Director Dong of the Justice Bureau.
- Director Dong.
- Dong Peng.
Thank you, Mr. Li.
You showed legal aid recipients
that the law is fair and just.
It's my job.
Xiaorui, don't worry.
If your brother behaves well,
he might be released early.
Thank you.
She said thank you.
Thank you.
Mr. Qiu, thanks for this.
We'll talk later.
- Goodbye, Director Dong.
- Goodbye.
You couldn't hear that big noise in there?
The noise played in court.
You couldn't hear any of that?
I couldn't.
He took away my hearing aid.
You were worried that, if I wore it,
- it wouldn't have been believable?
- What's wrong with the hearing aid?
When we came in,
wasn't her hearing aid at the entrance?
It's outside, at the door.
- Right there.
- You should've been straight with me.
I could take it off
and go with your performance.
- You should thank Mr. Qiu for his help.
- Please, lady. Stop talking. Please.
No, no need to thank me.
- I'll leave you to it.
- Okay, see you around.
Celebration?
- It's all press.
- I know.
Hi, everyone. My name is Li Qi.
I'm a lawyer and also a CODA.
That's a new word I just learned.
CODA, hearing children of Deaf adults.
Share with us
your understanding of the Deaf.
Imagine the hearing world as a 5G network,
then the Deaf world is only 2G,
in my opinion.
Its data flow and network speed
only allow it to process
the simplest, most direct information.
THE DEAFENING LAWYER IS AWESOME!
Very often,
some of our common senses and subtexts
are lost in the Deaf world.
As the Deaf cannot hear,
they prefer to believe what they can see.
When I was little, I had a Deaf friend.
They called him Little Dumb
and hit him.
When I saw that,
I ran to his rescue without thinking.
Perhaps, ever since then,
I've had this budding thought in my heart
that I carry the mission
of protecting the disadvantaged groups
and I will speak up for them.
I'll help you get a scholarship,
so you'll have the money
to pay off the mortgage.
32nd floor, fast elevator,
facing south, wholesome layout,
and full of sunshine.
This is the best view in our district.
How do you see the result of a lawsuit?
A lawsuit, in essence,
is solving disputes.
Very often, it's about finding balance
and making compromises.
I'll take it.
Welcome, everyone, to our reward tour.
Have you all gotten your VIP cards?
Honorable guests,
please take out your phones,
open our application, and check
your incoming payment for the month.
Now, let's welcome
a very special guest, Ms. Wu.
Ms. Wu has been honored
as our Premium Member of the Quarter.
Clients referred by her
get 10% more on their annual interest.
I brought
my property ownership certificate.
Tell her.
They want to buy more.
Raise the interest rate.
We have a special deal
for clients who sign with us today.
Their annual interest rate
can get as high as 60%.
LIMITED EDITION
Thank you.
A special thanks to Set Sail Finance
for raising a million yuan in donations
for disabled children.
Student representatives,
please come to the stage
to receive scholarships
from Set Sail Finance.
In this place brimming with hope,
we have gathered as one.
Let us join hands
and march forward together
SET SAIL FINANCE, LU SHIHAN
SET SAIL FINANCE, CHEN YIFEI
SET SAIL FINANCE
You need the money.
The immediate interests come first.
Sorry. Excuse me.
Excuse me. Sorry.
Sorry. Excuse me.
Sorry.
Excuse me. Sorry.
We are indeed not the same.
You all right?
You've been invited for tea.
Look at the ocean
and you'll understand
what the power of unity is.
Mr. Jin, what a pleasure.
Please sit.
You're trying to figure out if I'm deaf.
I'm like you, CODA as well.
No wonder the Deaf trust you so much.
Please sit.
My family has always done business.
My parents spent
their whole life having fun
and never worked a single day.
Being disabled or not
isn't the real issue.
This is a world
where the strong prey on the weak.
The distinction
is all about class.
I have a video here for you.
I think you'll find it helpful.
I have no video.
I heard that
quite a few households, like the Zhangs,
have mortgaged their houses
to purchase your products.
Cases like that tend
to drag out for two or three years
and nobody knows
if they'll get the money in the end.
However, I happen to be too sympathetic.
I plan to give
little Miss Zhang a scholarship.
As for the other households,
there's nothing I can do
and you don't have to bother with them.
Mr. Jin,
even if I don't do it,
other lawyers will be waiting
to take the cases.
A lawsuit is like holding a cow.
The plaintiff holds its head
and the defendant holds its tail.
You lawyers simply wait down there
for the milk.
By the way,
I have an international project here
and need a law firm
to provide legal counsel.
I wonder if Mr. Li would be interested
in working together.
SET SAIL FINANCE LEGAL CONSULTATION
SERVICE AGREEMENWork with me
and you'll get both fame and profit.
You have one night to think it over,
but only tonight.
Okay, hang it up.
Mr. Lawyer, congratulations.
Thank you.
Our legal counsel agreement
has been cleared by my team.
No rush.
- Take a look around.
- Okay.
You're doing this now?
Don't you see how busy it is outside?
- Come greet the guests.
- Right away.
- Stop it. Have someone else sort it out.
- Okay.
Welcome.
SET SAIL FINANCE LEGAL CONSULTATION
SERVICE AGREEMENAnd leave all this?
These are hard cases to sort out.
Well, we can't just turn
a deaf ear, can we?
We're not.
Zhang Xiaochen's case first.
After that, I'll help them.
Qiu.
It's my honor to introduce
President Liu of the Elite Alliance.
President Liu, what an honor.
When we get together next time,
bring Mr. Li along.
Sure, that would be great.
- All right.
- Actually, we met before.
- Is that so?
- Once.
- We'll get to know each other better.
- Sure.
In any case, I'm truly happy you made it.
Please do let us know
if you need anything.
- Take a look around.
- No need to stay with us.
- You must be busy.
- Get over here.
- Take care of President Liu.
- Qi.
Those cases
of the Deaf mortgaging their houses,
are we still on top of them?
- Let's cut the ribbon first.
- Qi.
Mr. Li, you came with your wife. Welcome.
- Welcome, Mrs. Li. Come inside.
- Congratulations.
Everyone, please help yourselves
to the food and drinks.
The ceremony is starting soon.
Don't let us keep you, Mr. Li.
RESIGNATION
Mr. Li.
What's the meaning of this?
I saw the contract
you signed with Set Sail.
What are you doing?
Hey.
It's the first day of our law firm
and you're pulling this act on me?
What's wrong with you? What are you doing?
I already gave you my resignation.
What I'm doing is no longer your business.
The deal with Set Sail
is just a one-time thing
and it includes confidentiality clauses.
- Why would I...
- Don't worry.
The shit between you and Set Sail,
you let it rot inside you.
I won't say anything
and I don't have a copy.
I have my professional integrity.
Of course I trust you.
Forget it. What happened
with Set Sail doesn't matter.
What matters is that
we're both about to take off.
Do you understand?
Come. Let's go back to the ribbon-cutting.
The future is limitless.
Zhang Xiaorui's scholarship
was also given by Set Sail.
What a convenient favor.
I almost admire you for that, Li Qi.
We're nearing the auspicious moment.
How long do we have?
- Five minutes.
- Wait for me.
- But they're...
- I said wait for me.
Okay.
Don't be late, Mr. Li.
You read the contract
Zhang Xiaorui's brother signed, right?
It was completely flawless.
They won't get the house back.
If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have
even gotten that 200,000 yuan!
How's that different
from breaking someone's leg
before giving them a pair of crutches?
It wasn't me who broke her leg,
but I did fight for those crutches.
I was helping her!
You were helping yourself!
You were using Xiaorui and your client
to look out for your own interests, Li Qi.
What's wrong with looking out
for my own interests? Answer me.
Am I doing charity here?
I'm a lawyer, not a priest!
Even so, you can't just turn a deaf ear
and climb over those Deaf people
to get higher!
Listen very carefully.
I managed to climb up to where I am
not because of those Deaf people
and not because of you, exam loser!
Me, an exam loser?
Yes! I am an exam loser!
What about you, Li Qi?
Where do you come from?
You really think wearing this suit
every day makes you high-class?
Makes you successful?
You know what, for someone like you,
no matter how high you climb
and how well you dress,
you're still a ghetto lawyer.
When Set Sail tosses a piece of meat,
you wag your tail and run for it.
How are you different from a dog?
Exactly. I'm fed up being the dog.
When I was back in the ghetto,
I was indeed a dog.
Now I just want to have a better life.
What's wrong with that?
Is that your reason to be
an accomplice in their shady business?
- Watch your words.
- How can you betray those who trust you?
- How am I an accomplice?
- What you're doing now
- is part of their shady business!
- Fine.
I am part of their shady business.
So what?
I just want to be a real human being,
speaking loudly on the 32nd floor!
What's wrong with that?
A person can speak from anywhere.
An ant crouching in the basement
is unheard by anyone upstairs.
Society is governed
by the rules of swapping favors
and the survival of the strong.
Society is governed
by the rules of fairness and justice.
Fairness and justice
are the coveted values
of a lawful society.
Fairness and justice
are the ultimate goals of human society.
Fairness and justice
are the fundamentals
of building a harmonious society and...
Grow up.
You may go pursue your ideals,
but I need to survive first.
Come. It's almost time.
Everyone, please move forward.
Sorry about the wait, everyone.
- Get over here.
- Come on, Mr. Li.
- We're waiting for you. Let's do this.
- It's time.
- The firm is open!
- The firm is open!
Why?
Here's how we'll play.
One contract for each game.
- Thank you, Mr. President.
- Thank you, Mr. President.
The house is no longer yours.
When you win, you want to win big.
Touching them together means "fairness."
Both sides are in a
What do you mean?
Three days. Get out.
I want to report a case.
Report a case.
What's that?
I'm reporting a case.
You have a case to report?
- Sit.
- They forced me out.
Write it down.
Write down what you want to say.
I can't read.
Get a sign language translator.
Officer.
It's him.
- I can translate for her.
- Sit.
No rush. Take your time.
Want your son to be safe?
She lost her dog?
She lost her dog.
What happened to my son?
What the hell happened to my son?
Wait.
Help me, Mom.
Don't move.
No. Please.
Behave yourself.
Don't move.
I made a mistake.
Go to the police.
I made a mistake.
Go to the police.
I made a mistake.
Please.
Director Dong.
- Mr. Li.
- Welcome.
You're such a busy man.
- How long have you been here?
- Just now.
Sit.
Yu, come.
Mr. Li, I came here
to ask you for a favor.
Yu,
get Director Dong
some of the white tea we just got.
Go on.
We've learned that some other Deaf people
are in the same situation
as Zhang Xiaochen.
It's likely a scam scheme.
Most of them believed what
the financial management company told them
and are reluctant to call the police
and we understand their concerns.
They're worried that
if they speak to others about this,
they will never get back
their investments of money and houses.
So, I want to ask you, Mr. Li,
to talk to them
and persuade them to come to the police.
Well
Wouldn't it be better if someone
from the Justice Bureau did the talking?
Sometimes, as representatives
of the government,
our hands are rather tied.
We can't really force the civilians
to go to the police
and report their cases.
Mr. Li, you know them well.
Can you, as a friend,
talk some sense into them?
Director Dong,
freshly arrived white tea.
You're too kind, miss.
I don't know very much about tea.
I usually drink plain water.
Why didn't you say so?
- Perrier. Get Director Dong a Perrier.
- Okay.
Yu,
thank you.
It's all right.
They actually work harder than I do.
Sometimes, for a case,
they get so busy with me,
but in the end, it was all for nothing.
Why don't I
contact a professional
sign language lawyer for you?
There are a few famous ones
who have much more experience than I do
with cases involving the Deaf.
I mean it. Excuse me. I have to take this.
Yes, go ahead.
How many times have I told you?
I don't know him well.
Not well. Do you understand?
Stop calling me.
- I have to go back to my meeting.
- Mr. Li.
- I won't take more of your time.
- Stay, Director Dong.
I have to go.
Why don't you take this water
for the road?
Please stay.
I won't walk you out then, Director Dong.
Bye.
Mr. Li,
a Ms. Wu came over today,
wanting you to represent her in a case,
and left this bracelet
as your service fee.
She also has no hearing.
Also has no hearing?
Do I have no hearing?
I'll leave it here.
- I'm telling you. It's nothing.
- Careful.
We'll see you later, Mr. Li.
Bye.
Be careful.
Don't drive.
I can't help you if you drive.
- Be careful, Mr. Li.
- It's all right.
Mr. Li, please let me add you on WeChat.
The formidable young.
You're a true champion of justice.
I'll take on more legal aid cases as well.
Wait.
Take my advice.
Fill your belly first.
Fill your belly, then take the cases.
Mr. Li,
you've influenced many people.
After my classmates saw your video,
they decided to get
into protecting women and children
and promote legal awareness
in rural areas.
Some went to legal aid centers.
Tell them that
I'm sorry.
Some other Deaf people
are in the same situation
as Zhang Xiaochen.
As for this, don't buy it.
I won't. I have no money.
SET SAIL FINANCE, WORRY-FREE PROFITS
ZIQIANG SUPERMARKESEAL
Where's Ma?
Go look in the public toilet
on the next street.
Thanks.
MA ZIQIANG, LIU FANG
The shop was a tough business.
They pay well here
and they provide housing.
It's all right.
Why did you buy it?
I want to
make some money
to find a better nursing home.
I don't want to die alone
at home.
Have some noodles.
Go ahead.
I've got the Wu Song.
I never found the chance
to give it to you.
Son of a dumb!
Little dumb!
- Say something!
- Say something.
- Copying your old man?
- Right.
The old man can't talk,
so you can't either?
Dig in.
You're very lucky.
I never came across this card.
Wait for me here.
Your doorbell is broken. I'll fix it.
MY LUNAR CALENDAR BIRTHDAY
Show some tears
and we'll have money to buy food.
You're really committing a crime here.
Call the police on me.
I'll eat better in prison.
It's okay to lie in order to eat?
Sure.
The immediate interests come first, right?
You taught me that, remember?
You blame me?
You blame me. Is that it?
You know what,
if it weren't for me,
your brother would've gotten
at least five years.
Five years!
You helped my brother
and I thank you for that.
I know why you gave me money.
I do.
You think that,
because I can't hear or talk,
there's nothing I can do.
No.
Look at them.
I'm doing what I can.
What about you?
Say something.
Dumb.
I'm dumb?
I'm dumb?
I told you
to take the money and get your house back.
Did you listen?
I told them not to buy...
Did they listen?
Now you're calling me dumb?
Ever since the day I was born,
I've been talking every day,
but nobody hears me.
If I help you, I'm the good guy.
If I don't help you, I'm an asshole!
I want to have a better life.
What's wrong with that?
I want myself
and others to respect me.
What's wrong with that?
Tell me. What's wrong with that?
- Get your hands off her!
- What's wrong with that?
What kind of man bullies a girl?
- Loser.
- Say something!
- Say something!
- Damn it.
Get him!
- Dumb!
- Dumb!
- You think you're great?
- Dumb!
I can talk.
I can
talk.
Thank you.
I wanted to join them and beat you.
Why didn't you take the money
to get the house back?
That kind of money, I don't want it.
There was someone quite like you.
Who?
When I was at school,
the school made a donation to me.
Someone called me a dumb's son,
so I fought them
and returned the money.
You returned the money,
but asked me to take it?
Because I regret it.
I lost my dignity.
I also lost money.
Soft.
Ms. Wu has locked herself inside
and wants to light the gas.
- You can't get in there, sir.
- I know Ms. Wu.
- Captain Li.
- I grew up here. Let me talk to her.
Everyone grew up here.
Get out of my hair.
I'm a lawyer.
Here's my license.
You know sign language?
I do.
Come on.
Your priority is to calm her down,
but don't forget to ask her
what she wants.
Once you get any feedback,
let us know as soon as possible.
- Okay.
- Be safe.
Don't be scared.
Tell me everything.
Come out and play mahjong.
Dabao is getting married, right?
You want to attend the wedding, right?
Dabao called me greedy.
He said people like us
should be content with not starving.
I want to wear a gold bracelet.
What's wrong with that?
I'll explain it to you.
It was the bad people's fault, not yours.
It's too late.
I recruited a lot of people.
It's not too late. Trust me.
I'll help you file a lawsuit.
I'll catch the bad guys.
Get down.
Trust him.
You'll help with everything?
Everything.
I promise.
Get down.
SMART FINANCIAL CHOICE, WORRY-FREE WEALTH
IN MEMORY OF
I want to thank my mom's friends
for seeing her off for the last time.
When I was three,
I was sent to my grandpa's.
All my life, I never had
a proper chat with my mom.
The last time
I texted her
was to blame her for being scammed.
A Ms. Wu came over today,
wanting you to represent her for a case,
and left this bracelet
as your service fee.
She also has no hearing.
MORTGAGE CONTRACT, PARTY A: ZHANG XIAOCHEN
If that Wu woman wanted to die,
she should've died quietly and far away.
All this mess is annoying.
Don't worry.
I already talked to the PR department.
You don't need to make
any statements or appearances
for this incident.
In a few days,
when our Set Sail physical project
is launched,
you'll have
successfully pivoted your business.
Such an impressive appetite.
Li.
President Liu.
What a coincidence.
Mr. Jin is my client as well.
Sit.
Administration told me that
a client has some legal issues
to consult about.
Turns out it's you.
What is it?
An expected annual interest rate
of 48%
Sounds too good to be true.
Are these people
your new Deaf clients?
Let me cut to the chase.
You're my senior
and we're friends.
How about this?
They don't have to get
their investments back.
They just want their houses back.
Well,
if so, you should've gone
to the real estate company.
What are you doing here at Set Sail?
President Liu,
there's really no need for this act.
Who is the real boss
behind this Thousand Gold Real Estate?
We both know it
all too well.
I don't, actually.
Look up the connection
between Thousand Gold and Set Sail.
It has no connection with Set Sail,
not even business dealings.
Li,
allow me to be harsh with you.
As a lawyer,
how can you forget
basic knowledge like privity of contract?
It's precisely because I'm a lawyer
that I understand clearly
how you set up the third-party company
and some complicated
contractual relationships
to get your hands
on these Deaf people's houses.
That's essentially fraud.
Li,
is your imagination
what got you your law degree?
The accusation of fraud is rather serious.
Do you have any evidence?
- Why don't we do this?
- Mr. President.
We're running out of time.
You have another meeting.
Li, don't get worked up.
Do some more digging.
If you need any help from me,
feel free to call.
With such a professional legal team,
we'll surely be able to help you.
MALIAO LANE
Tang.
You didn't bring an umbrella?
- I have one. Come with me.
- It's fine. My car will be here soon.
Thank you.
- I'm off. Bye.
- All right. Bye.
LEGAL PROFESSIONAL
QUALIFICATION EXAMINATION STUDY GUIDE
I have a job.
- If you have time...
- I'll take it.
I passed the Legal Exam.
Good for you.
I told you rote learning was no good.
Looks like
throwing away your book was right.
Every one of these real estate companies
has Jin Songfeng behind it.
If we can file the case
before he pivots his business,
we can save everyone's houses.
They're awful people.
Can you guarantee our safety?
Trust the law.
She signed.
PARTY A: ZHANG XIAORUI
We have to trust him.
Qi,
we found out that a few of these houses
have been resold a few times.
If we only file a civil economic lawsuit,
even if we win,
it's very hard to get the houses back.
- Then there's only one way left.
- Thank you.
Have all of them step up and testify
to form a complete chain of evidence
and we have a chance
of pushing for a criminal case.
We have to win the case
before he gets away clean.
Even though these kids
can neither hear nor speak,
I always keep an eye on them.
That's why our company established
the Artificial Intelligence,
Technology Hears the Future
educational scholarship,
so that these children
with hearing impairments
are able to
live and grow
in a carefree and happy way.
Mr. Jin, do you have anything to say
about Set Sail's involvement
in several housing contract disputes?
It's nothing but a smear campaign
by our competitors.
I hereby
promise all our clients
that I will take legal action
and fight the slanderers
till the end.
We got a call from the courthouse.
The toy factory housing dispute cases
are scheduled for trial shortly.
This Li Qi
I'm afraid it's not that simple.
I think he wants to turn it
into a criminal case.
He also applied to stream the trial live.
I think he wants to blow it up.
Once the criminal case is filed,
all the company's funds will be frozen.
By then, it'll be difficult
for us to get out.
How can he turn it?
If enough people testify in court
and the court decides
they're not isolated incidents,
the cases could be handed over
to the police,
which would put us in a tight spot.
We don't know what he has up his sleeve,
so you'd better not show up in court.
Didn't you hear
what I just told the press?
If I don't go to court,
how can we resolve the controversy?
Then
let's keep them out of court.
Zhang Xiaorui's case
is going to court tomorrow.
I need your help.
You're not just plaintiffs,
but also each other's witnesses.
Who are you?
Get your boss.
Mr. Li!
Mr. Li!
What are you doing?
Get down!
Get down!
- Don't move.
- Sulfuric acid powder.
Stand there and don't move!
What are you doing?
It's not me.
Ms. Pan, what is this?
She has something to say.
My son got beaten up because of him.
Do not go to him
for the lawsuit.
He forced you to say that, didn't he?
You
Are on someone's payroll
and doing his bidding.
You took the money.
We can make money quietly
or die together.
I'm dropping the case.
Don't be afraid, everyone.
Trust the law.
Trust me.
Tang, call the police.
Next time,
it will be real.
Mr. Jin wants to have dinner with you.
Don't be scared.
If we withdraw the lawsuit now,
we'll lose everything.
Please trust us.
We will help you.
In this world,
there are too many greedy people
and not enough crooks to go around.
You can't save the others.
Even if I can't save them,
it's simply wrong to harm them.
If you hadn't started this mess,
all of them
would still have had
the real money I handed out.
You are the one who harmed them.
I will help you.
You're a lawyer.
You don't have to be scared.
But we are.
I will help you.
You can't withdraw.
There's still a chance
to get your house back.
If I lose the money, I can make it back.
If I lose my life,
what will happen to my family?
- You don't want the drum set anymore?
- Nobody hears it anyway.
For the service fee,
fill in the number yourself.
SET SAIL AI MANUFACTURING INVESTMENT PLAN
LEGAL CONSULTATION SERVICE AGREEMENI'll pass.
The ghetto firm is not so bad.
Remember. You took my money.
If you start a war,
you're the one destroyed.
It's hard to get up to the 32nd floor,
but very easy
to fall off.
Those people want to silence us.
We are Deaf, but we are not dumb.
Our voices deserve to be heard.
I will definitely go through
with this lawsuit
and help you get your houses back.
Maybe we won't succeed,
but only by all speaking up
do we have a chance to be heard.
I will try my best to keep you safe.
Trust me.
Trust me this once.
We need to speak up.
Speak up!
Taste the good stuff
while you have the chance.
This drink
is worth a month's profit at your firm.
You're not withdrawing
the lawsuit, are you?
Absolutely not.
Even if you're the only one,
we'll stick it out till the end.
The recent dispute between Deaf investors
and Set Sail Finance
has attracted widespread attention.
The court proceedings
will be live streamed
on the Open Court Trial website.
Mr. Li,
we found that these real estate companies
have been dissolved.
They moved fast.
We have to turn this
into a criminal case today.
If all the money is transferred,
their houses will be lost forever.
What can we do then?
They won't appear in court.
At the People's Court
of Shenhong District, Hujiang City,
the public hearing
of Zhang Xiaochen and Zhang Xiaorui
versus Set Sail Finance Co. Ltd.
Regarding contract invalidation
is happening today.
The court is now in session.
Next, the Plaintiffs will state
the claims of the lawsuit
and the facts and legal basis
on which they're grounded.
Presiding Judge,
as my client is Deaf,
I request that the necessary information
be translated into sign language.
PRESIDING JUDGE
Claims.
One, to confirm that
the housing mortgage contract
between the Plaintiffs
and Defendant is invalid.
Two, to order the Defendant
to assist the Plaintiffs
in canceling the mortgage registration.
LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE
The contract is void.
Cancel the mortgage registration.
I want to get
my brother's and my house back.
According to current law,
hearing impairment does not affect
one's capacity for civil conduct.
This is an investment contract.
You never said anything
while you were making money.
Now, because of losses
incurred by market fluctuation,
you want to claim the contract is invalid?
That's simply unfair.
This is not a real investment contract.
The Defendant lured them in
with promises of high returns,
without any actual project to back it up.
This is essentially an act of fraud.
In our contract,
there are multiple clear reminders
that investing carries risks.
The Plaintiffs
willingly mortgaged their house,
so it was a normal business activity.
Well, according to the Defendant,
if a merchant labels a wallet
with a theft risk warning,
does that mean theft is a legal action?
The timing of the Defendant's failure
to pay investment returns
and the timing
of my clients' houses being sold
are extremely close.
It's apparent that the fisherman
was dragging in the net
and no longer needed the bait.
Thus, I conclude that
the Defendant has engaged in fraud
with the aim of unlawful appropriation.
If they fail to repay the loan
when it is due,
my client has the right
to dispose of the property.
It was written in the contract
in black and white.
I must caution opposing counsel
against improper leading.
Regarding Plaintiffs' allegation that
the Defendant committed contract fraud,
I'd like to ask if the Plaintiffs have
any additional evidence or testimony.
SET SAIL FINANCE LEGAL CONSULTATION
SERVICE AGREEMENLEGAL REPRESENTATIVE
Yes.
This false service contract
was signed in person
by Jin Songfeng and me.
When I was Zhang Xiaochen's defense
attorney for the intentional injury case
What's the meaning of this?
-Jin Songfeng gave me 300,000 yuan
-He hasn't given up.
As hush money to keep me
from further investigating
other Deaf people
purchasing Set Sail financial products
and threatened me not to appear in court.
Therefore,
the Defendant had premeditated
to defraud my clients of their property.
In order to win,
- he's going all in.
- Exactly.
I couldn't tell at all.
Order in the court.
Defendant.
- Think it through.
- During Zhang Xiaochen's assault case,
did you contact Plaintiff's attorney
- Be my enemy.
- And request them to cease investigation?
- And you're the one going down.
- This was a straightforward civil dispute.
- I will fight you till the end.
- I don't get why Plaintiff's attorney
insists on labeling us as criminals.
I suggest we return
to the key issues of this case,
but with respect to
the civil dispute case before this court,
for humanitarian reasons,
my client would like to provide cash
equivalent to the property's value
as a relief fund
to help the Plaintiffs
through this hard time.
PLAINTIFF, LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE
Is the Defendant's
settlement proposal accepted?
No.
Do the Plaintiffs have
any other evidence to provide?
Presiding Judge,
I have 11 other contracts, all signed
by Deaf clients and Set Sail Finance,
to mortgage their houses
to purchase financial products,
all formatted identically
to the one signed by Zhang Xiaochen.
Presiding Judge,
this is irrelevant to this case.
Each of these contracts
was signed by the Defendant.
They're all documents
authorizing property transfers,
signed by the Deaf
without knowing its implications.
Therefore, behind this
is a case of organized crime
with numerous victims.
And these 11 contracts
only represent the tip of the iceberg.
I petition the collegial bench,
in accordance with Article 153
of the Civil Procedure Law,
to suspend the proceedings
and refer the case
to the public security authorities.
Presiding Judge,
I challenge the authenticity,
relevance, and legality
of the evidence presented
by Plaintiffs' counsel in court.
JUDGE, PRESIDING JUDGE, JUDGE, CLERK
Plaintiffs' counsel,
to prove the authenticity
of these contracts,
can all 11 signatories of these contracts,
whom you previously applied
to testify in court, be present?
Plaintiffs' counsel,
do you have anything else to add?
Presiding Judge,
on this day,
even if I'm able
to obtain compensation for my clients,
I'm afraid we will lose.
I once told a friend
that this society is governed by the rule
of the strong preying on the weak,
but he told me
that it's governed by the rule
of fairness
and justice.
I stand here today
to prove that I was wrong.
I did my best.
It's okay.
JUDGE, PRESIDING JUDGE, JUDGE, CLERK
Due to the submission
of new physical evidence,
the bench needs to adjourn
to deliberate on its admissibility.
The court is now back in session.
Plaintiffs' counsel,
if the 11 people you mentioned
cannot be present,
due to the absence of witness testimony,
the authenticity of the contracts
cannot be verified.
The collegial bench
will only deliberate
on the matters of this case.
Do the Plaintiffs have
any other evidence or testimonies?
Yes.
This false service contract
was signed in person
by Jin Songfeng and me.
When I was Zhang Xiaochen's defense
attorney for the intentional injury case
He hasn't given up.
Jin Songfeng gave me
300,000 yuan as hush money
to keep me from further investigating
All my life, I've heard people call
our home "the dumb building."
So I tried so hard to get out
and prove that I was different from you.
But then I realized that everything I own
has been gained
by not hearing and not speaking.
I'm the dumb one.
Today, only Zhang Xiaorui stepped up
to speak up for herself.
Now, I will bravely speak up
for my dignity.
If you want justice,
you have to fight for it yourself.
There is no savior in this world.
We have to be our own heroes.
to defraud my client of their property.
COURT TRIAL LIVE STREAM
You should go.
Hearing-impaired individuals present,
please register.
Pan Minghua.
Thank you.
Xie Guoxi.
Guo Dafang.
Tang Xiaodan.
Sun Tianyou.
Zhang Li.
Xu Jingyi.
Dong Changcheng.
Wu Yanmei.
The witness testimonies above
have sufficiently proven
the possibility of criminal activity
in this case.
I petition again to the Presiding Judge,
in accordance with Article 153
of the Civil Procedure Law,
to suspend the proceedings and refer this
to the public security authorities.
After deliberation,
the collegial bench has decided that,
due to suspected criminal activity,
the proceedings in this case
are to be suspended
and the relevant criminal evidence
will be handed over
to public security authorities.
The court is now adjourned.
Did we win?
We won.
Get lost!
It's not over yet.
Mr. Jin,
enjoy some good food
while you still have the chance.
You all right, Mr. Li?
I'm all right.
It was brilliant. Thank you.
Let's go. I'm willing to cooperate
with your further investigation.
Good. Come on.
You all right?
It's okay.
DRIVEN BY THE JOINT EFFORTS
OF LI QI AND NUMEROUS VICTIMS,
THE PUBLIC SECURITY AUTHORITIES FILED
A CASE AND INITIATED AN INVESTIGATION.
In all fraud schemes,
there is a very important word.
Trust.
Once it's established,
both the Deaf and the hearing
are easy to manipulate.
My parents were both Deaf.
Since I was little,
I grew up in this community.
I know them well
and I know sign language.
Whatever stories I make up,
they always believe me.
I am willing
to return the illicit proceeds
and make amends.
JIN SONGFENG HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY
OF FUNDRAISING FRAUD,
INTENTIONAL INJURY, AND ORGANIZING
AND LEADING A MAFIA-STYLE ORGANIZATION.
THE COURT HAS DECIDED
TO SENTENCE HIM TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT,
WITH A COMBINED CONFISCATION
OF ALL PERSONAL PROPERTY.
JIN SONGFENG'S ASSOCIATES
HAVE BEEN SENTENCED
IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE CRIMINAL LAW OF CHINA.
AFTER THE JUDGMENT TOOK EFFECT,
LI QI, REPRESENTING THE DEAF VICTIMS,
COMMUNICATED WITH
RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS TO INITIATE
CRIMINAL RULING PROCEDURES
AND CIVIL LITIGATION PROCESSES.
THESE EFFORTS AIM TO FACILITATE
THE RECOVERY AND RESTITUTION
OF ILLICIT FUNDS AND PROPERTIES
AND RESTORE VICTIMS' PROPERTY RIGHTS.
THE RELEVANT CIVIL CASES AND JUDICIAL
PROCEEDINGS ARE STILL ONGOING.
LI QI HAS BEEN ADMINISTRATIVELY
PENALIZED FOR VIOLATING
LAWYER PROFESSIONAL ETHICS,
RECEIVING A SIX-MONTH SUSPENSION
AND A FINE OF 10,000 YUAN.
Since opposing counsel
is resorting to dirty tricks,
we'll change our tactics as well,
maybe even turn it into a criminal case.
With such cases,
we have quite a few successful precedents.
How much does he owe you now?
920 yuan.
- That much?
- My living expenses for two months.
Don't worry.
The most experienced lawyer in the city
in such cases is right here.
Mr. Tang.
This client needs to claim
his unpaid wages, 920 yuan.
Not a small sum.
Please sit.
- Get a glass of water.
- Sure.
Rest assured with Mr. Tang.
Mr. Ma,
the client asks for a glass of Perrier.
Okay. Wait.
Look, usually,
there are these types of wage arrears.
You can browse through it.
You should read more of this now.
Wait.
HUJIANG FINE ARTS INSTITUTE
ACCEPTANCE LETTER
Is this for real?
Yes.
Awesome.
Tang.
Xiaorui got in!
She got in!
- Brilliant.
- Brilliant.
LOVE
THANK YOU
SUCCESS
HELP
PROTECPROTECTION
EXCEED
MEDIATION
WEALTH
LAW
CRIME
STRIVE
DEDICATION
FAIRNESS
HOME
STRONG
IDEAL
ATTORNEY
DREAM
UNFAMILIAR
AWESOME
RIGHTS
KINDNESS
APPEAL
PETITION
UNITY
WARMTH
HOPE
TRUSHAPPINESS
COURAGE
PLAINTIFF
JUSTICE
EVIDENCE
PROOF
PROGRESS
HARMONY
JOY
PROGRESS
PROMISE
A DEAFENING NOISE