Darkstone Code-Chapter 953 - 951: Calm and Even-Tempered
At least we won’t lose!
This was already enough to meet Lynch’s expectations regarding the current situation.
A lot of newspapers reported this news. A few days ago, the , which had been predicting the downfall of Every Moment, came forward again, claiming this was the beginning of a new legend for Every Moment.
Their editor-in-chief highly praised Lynch’s maneuvering in the report, stating that with his intervention, Every Moment swiftly stopped the current declining trend. Multiple evaluation agencies now see potential for new miracles to be created.
There are also some Every Moment stores locally in Bupen City, and they’ve had their Every Moment counters "stolen" as well.
Amidst everyone’s anticipation, the first trial began.
A total of twenty-four stores in Bupen unilaterally tore up their agreements with Every Moment, removing Every Moment’s counters without fulfilling the contract. The court accepted the case and proceeded with the trial.
With the help of Shi Haoyun and Colorful, the twenty-four store owners found a prominent lawyer willing to "represent" them in this lawsuit for free.
In Bupen, if one wants this distinguished lawyer to take on a case, it would typically require spending at least tens of thousands, or even more.
In a statement to the media, he explained that his motive for doing so was to prevent capitalists from recklessly using legal weapons with their wealth and power, turning the law into a sharp blade in their hands to "slaughter" the masses.
His comments sparked a significant social debate, with many believing he was a true conscience of the Federation, a moral model in the legal profession.
However, they were unaware that before announcing the "free" offer, he had received a goodwill gesture of thirty thousand as a lawyer’s fee. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
Shi Haoyun and Colorful were temporarily unwilling to get personally involved in a head-on battle with Every Moment. They needed a lawsuit to determine what they would face if they entered the fray.
On such a pleasant weekend, the Bupen City court session commenced.
After the plaintiff’s lawyer stated their position, the judge looked towards the defense attorney, "Does the defense attorney have anything to say?"
As he asked, he lowered his head to glance at some explanatory documents before him. In fact, this case did not need a formal court hearing; it could have been decided in a fast-track court.
From the judge’s perspective, the breach of contract by these defendants was blatantly obvious. Regardless of their reasoning, they had caused a breach of contract as a fait accompli.
Moreover, the only legal claim in this case was to pursue the breach of contract penalty, which was simple and clear. If handled in a fast-track court, it could have been decided in two minutes at most.
But now, society and the media are paying attention to this matter. Coupled with Every Moment’s lawsuit against a group from the lower social strata, some rights organizations are closely monitoring the case, forcing it to be conducted in court.
Looking at the rows of cameras behind, it’s clear how much attention this case has received.
The defense lawyer stood up, "Your Honor, I have two points to make."
The judge nodded; he couldn’t deny this guy a chance to speak.
All prominent lawyers, aside from having superior professional abilities, often have extensive social networks.
The most famous lawyer in the Federation once had one of the highest win rates for cases he handled in the history of the Federal Judiciary.
His own brilliance was part of it, but more importantly, it was his father—
He rose from a local court judge to a judge in the Federal Supreme Court, the main reason he could consistently secure a high win rate.
Later, when his father failed in the election for a lifelong Chief Justice, this famous lawyer gradually faded from the public view, leaving behind some legends for the industry.
Lawyers like the defense attorney in this case also have some connections within the Ministry of Justice, something the judge knew.
"First, this case is not entirely isolated. Before this incident, the defendants I represent had actually already sued Every Moment for a breach of contract..."
As he spoke, his assistant delivered some documents to the judge’s desk.
The judge, prosecutor, and others each received a copy.
While they were looking through it, the defense lawyer continued, "From these initiated lawsuits, it’s clear that in reality, the plaintiff breached the contract first, and my clients are resolving the issue through legal channels."
"There is a chronological order to these matters, so..."
The lawyer for Every Moment casually raised his hand, "I object to the defense lawyer’s statement, Your Honor. The legal claim in this case is very clear, and the issues mentioned by the defense lawyer do not exist."
"We have not breached the contract in any form. Every Moment has ample supply ready to be shipped at any time."
"The unilateral lawsuit, without a court hearing or a specific adjudication result, I believe holds no reference value or significance in this case."
The judge pondered for a moment and nodded, "Objection sustained. Defense lawyer, your mentioned lawsuits have no judicial result."
"Without confirmation that the plaintiff has breached the contract first, and establishing an inevitable connection with this case, your statement has no significance."
The defense lawyer’s line of thought was very clear: make the plaintiff, Every Moment, the first to breach. As long as the judiciary acknowledged this, Every Moment’s lawsuit against all store owners would be meaningless.
Why?
Because after Every Moment’s breach, the store owners unilaterally terminated the contracts, a decision made under the premise of Every Moment’s prior breach, which would be recognized and protected by the judiciary.
In this way, no matter what Every Moment’s counterclaim contents are, they pose no threat to the store owners.
Unfortunately, today’s judge was not prone to making careless decisions, or he wasn’t siding with the defendants.
Many issues aren’t settled simply by claiming a breach. The Federation is a state governed by the rule of law. Until the law states that Every Moment has breached, who should people believe?
Undoubtedly, they should wait for the final interpretation from the Ministry of Justice.
The defense lawyer cast a sideways glance at his opponent and then said, "Another issue, Your Honor, I believe the loss of Every Moment’s counters is not an isolated incident."
"From the intelligence I’ve gathered, over two thousand stores nationwide have lost their counters, all of which had previously sued Every Moment for a breach. I have reason to believe this is actually an attempt to obstruct judicial justice."
"Every Moment used some despicable means to steal those counters, and then used this as a tactic to sue ordinary people attempting to use the law to defend their rights. This case should be dealt with after the closure of another case regarding it."
The "another case" referred to by the defense lawyer is the case where over two thousand stores reported their counters as stolen. The defense lawyer’s implication is that the nature of this case can only be determined after the thief is found.
Every Moment’s lawyer raised his hand again, "I object to the defense lawyer’s remarks, Your Honor."
"If the defense lawyer does not have definitive and effective evidence to prove his viewpoint, I will accuse him of defamation."
The judge furrowed his brow. This time he did not immediately support the plaintiff’s lawyer’s accusation.
Because he knew that what the defense lawyer said wasn’t necessarily wrong.
In a nationwide scenario where over two thousand "fraud cases" appeared suddenly, where mistakingly they only moved Every Moment’s counters, suggesting no connection to Every Moment is implausible.
The judge even thought that Every Moment, or Lynch, arranged according to the plaintiffs’ mentioned on their subpoenas. Otherwise, where’s the coincidence?
The majority of plaintiffs suing Lynch were deceived into losing Every Moment’s counters?
However, the Federation is a state governed by the rule of law. Everyone is entitled to their viewpoint, and even if someone argues that the President is actually an alien trying to control the world, it’s not a problem.
Expressing one’s ideas in any venue is a basic right granted to Federation citizens by the charter. But if you want your claim or viewpoint to gain judicial support, you must present evidence.
Some might find this absurd, knowing full well that it must be related to Every Moment, yet they demand evidence, perceiving it as a cover-up.
But on the flip side, if supposed "common belief" allowed dismissing evidence, capitalists likely outnumber ordinary folk in this "everyone," dictating truths at their whims.
So sometimes, what seems like a hurdle for ordinary individuals, is actually in place to protect them better.
The veracity of what the defense attorney stated is irrelevant; evidence matters.
The judge looked at the defense lawyer, "How can you prove what you said?"
The defense lawyer shook his head, "I cannot prove it, so I hope, for the fraud case to conclude first and add an extra hearing, to temporarily delay this trial’s verdict time, and reopen this case."
The judge hesitated. His decision could potentially be referenced by future courts and judges, a consensus within the judicial field.
It seemed harmless, but flipped for Every Moment, it meant becoming the disadvantaged party.
The judge raised his gaze towards the plaintiff’s lawyer, a slight, meaningful gesture, suggesting the plaintiff’s lawyer could object and receive support.
This response seemed like an implicit rule, unnoticed by outsiders to such signals. The plaintiff’s lawyer presumably understood.
However, surprisingly, the plaintiff’s lawyer did not object, as if... supporting such a decision as well.
"We shall take a ten-minute break to discuss whether to support the defendant’s claim..."
The judge tapped the gavel, exiting through a side door with the attendees. They needed to clarify what Every Moment was actually up to.
