Another beautiful morning unfolded as Old Tang dragged himself out of his rented room. He first checked the span of his life: more than a month gathering evidence plus the time waiting had already breached two months.
Why is this life being consumed so quickly?
Fortunately, today was the day of the hearing. He just needed to win this lawsuit and that was that.
As he stepped out and went downstairs, Old Song was already waiting in the car at the door. Seeing Tang Fangjing coming down, he spoke, "Old Tang, you're living here? This environment is a bit too shabby, isn't it?"
Yes, for some reason, Old Song had started calling Tang Fangjing 'Old Tang'...
Old Song felt that although the other party was young and had never worked as a lawyer, he seemed to have a deep understanding of the profession, like an old lawyer who had been in the industry for countless years...
He might not make a fortune, but when it came to keeping his nose clean, he was top-notch.
The legal profession is considered knowledgeable in the law, but you have to be cautious about everything. Sometimes novices find certain regulations too complicated or bothersome, and think they can just cut corners; no one looks into it... Until it's too late for regrets.
Yet strangely, despite his prudent ways, the things he did were like those of a young man, acting just for the thrill of it.
He had only found out yesterday that he had done all this because the intermediary had dared him to make all the Jingzhou intermediaries use real housing listings...
This young man had left him speechless, made him feel like he had taken a shady car ride.
Looking at Old Song, Tang Fangjing casually said, "I've bought a house, I'll move in a few days. Let's go, we'll aim for a judgment in court today."
Fortunately, yesterday's administrative penalty had been enforced, so those intermediary companies might not dare to appeal.
Before a teacher can discipline you, your dad has already served you a plate of bamboo shoots with pork. You know you can't win, yet you appeal—whom exactly are you disrespecting?
Although the rules state that there are two final trials, and that's your right, the industry is still undergoing reform!
Jingzhou City Intermediate Court, the civil chamber, representatives and agents from over twenty intermediary companies had arrived, along with six platforms listed as third parties.
They were chatting amongst themselves, with confused expressions visible on their faces.
For other intermediary companies, this was like a bolt from the blue!
Sitting at home, trouble came knocking—everything was fine until the market regulation authorities and the court gave them two massive back-to-back slaps...
For the platforms, the confusion was even greater—were they being blamed for lax oversight of content on their platforms?
Nowadays, which platform could truthfully handle auditing all their content? It's impossible, considering the number of properties listed on a site.
The key point was that this whole affair was stirred up by a young man, and all because he had been duped by a fake housing listing, demanded a taxi fare, and then got scoffed at!
It all seemed like some sort of sickness. Huashi Real Estate crossed you, so sue them; why drag the whole industry into it?
Guo Qifeng barely dared to lift his head while others were outright berating him.
"Why would you go around saying those things in the first place, huh? What does it mean `it's all the same in Jingzhou'? Are you hellbent on taking us down with you?"
"Exactly! It's only a few dozen yuan. Just pay the man and be done with it. But no, you had to say a few words, didn't you? I really don't know what to say..."
From their perspective, there could only be one reason for such actions, and nobody thought it was out of some "public welfare" or "social morality"—who does that these days? That's just being a plain fool.
Amid such bickering, a few maintained serious expressions.
Wang Jiannan, a lawyer from Jingzhou Feixiang Law Firm, was 51 years old, a seasoned figure in Jingzhou's legal circle.
Upon seeing this case, he knew it was unwinnable, unquestionably so, given the overwhelming gap in evidence between the two parties.
The other side's evidence was so comprehensive it left people speechless; on his side, there was nothing.
But as a lawyer, even though you know a case is a sure loss, you have to take it on—how else are you going to make a living?
"Master, the opposing lawyer has arrived!" A young woman spoke up.
Old Wang turned his head and said in puzzlement, "It's really that Song Tengfei. How did he get hold of a public interest lawsuit from the Consumer Association? The guy's not very competent, everyone in the circle knows that."
An old slacker had actually managed to take on a public interest lawsuit from the Consumer Association, Old Wang found it incomprehensible... wasn't he much better than what's-his-name Song Tengfei?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He couldn't let it go—he had to show this guy today that slackers shouldn't meddle with high-end cases!
While thinking, Old Wang said, "Xiao Yan, your internship is almost over, and you'll soon be practicing on your own. When you start taking cases, don't be picky about the easy ones—just having cases will do..."
The young woman referred to as Xiao Yan nodded; practicing independently, that must feel amazing...
Tang Fangjing and Old Song naturally had no idea that the opposing lawyers were seizing the opportunity to instruct an apprentice. At this moment, the pair had already taken their seats alongside the plaintiffs, as the consumer association hadn't sent a representative, so it was just the two of them.
"Wow, this is quite a spectacle. Old Tang, following you has really paid off this time. I've never seen so many defendants in a single lawsuit before..."
Old Song gazed at the scene before him and couldn't help but express his feelings.
The legal representatives or branch managers of all twenty-eight intermediary companies had arrived, largely because they wanted to see what this young man looked like.
This led to an overcrowded defendants' bench, and extra stools had to be brought in...
Looking at Tang Fangjing and his company, the gossip on their side grew louder.
Is that the young man? He looks quite ordinary. What is he aiming to achieve by doing this, stirring up such a big fuss just to vent his anger?
The whispering finally ceased when the judge entered the courtroom, and, as the clerk called for everyone to rise, the first public interest lawsuit initiated by the consumer association in Handong Province commenced!
Tang Fangjing didn't speak; he hadn't even obtained his trainee lawyer's license yet. Although he had signed a contract with Tengda Law Firm, technically, he wasn't qualified to speak in court.
So, he could only coax Old Song.
Just watch, Old Song. This public interest lawsuit is definitely going to blow up. Although it won't become a guiding case due to its non-replicability, it's still a chance for some exposure.
Moreover, the opposing lawyers are aware of this too. They can't possibly win, so everyone might as well be amiable. A few words back and forth, and it'll all be over.
Upon hearing this, Old Song realized it was indeed the case. There was no need to fret; a few casual remarks would suffice.
Completely forgetting that a certain trainee lawyer once told him that he would only need to handle the money and do nothing else...
These things require a gradual approach. You can't just put Old Song in direct confrontation right away. In this regard, Tang Fangjing was very experienced and started with something within his colleague's comfort zone.
Half an hour into the hearing...
"I believe the plaintiff's lawyer lacks professional logic. He claims that the intermediary companies are greedy, but we must remember that companies aim to make a profit. Instead of attributing it to the companies' greed, it's more about human nature. Everyone prefers a house that's better decorated and cheaper..."
Listenting to the lawyer on the opposing side, Old Song grew livid. Wasn't the agreement that everyone would just casually speak their part? What meant this old man's aggressiveness?
The opposing side did not deny the false advertising; instead, they latched onto a loophole in his words and launched a vicious counterattack, another form of "ignoring the facts completely."
Lawyers, in fact, are much more knowledgeable than young ladies about these matters; they're professionals in this field.
Luckily, the judge was professional too. When Old Wang launched his third attack, the judge finally intervened, asking the defense lawyer to refrain from discussing matters unrelated to the case.
Following the final statements from both parties, Old Wang didn't have much to say. The gist was that the issue was complex and the court shouldn't ascribe all responsibility to the intermediary companies.
Then there was mention that the market regulation authorities had already issued fines...
As for the platforms, they claimed to have no liability.
After the recess, the court promptly declared a judgment, ordering each of the twenty-eight intermediary companies to compensate according to their scale and the number of false listings.
The platforms were mandated to assume regulatory responsibilities, mainly because their negligence was too egregious, as with Anke and Eighty-five; the listings from Jingzhou on these two platforms were almost all untrue to some extent...
To quote the judge, "To claim that you have already audited them, that's just blatant nonsense!"
People water down their drinks, but these two firms, it's like diluting water with more water...
Listening to the court's decision for a compensation of four hundred and fifty thousand yuan, Guo Qifeng's face turned as dark as if it could drip water. A hundred percent falsehood rate; hearing this, his colleagues in attendance all nodded in recognition of the expertise.
Tang Fangjing still hadn't said a word. It might seem a bit unconducive to "rule of law," but he knew that from the moment the market regulatory penalty notice was issued, the outcome of the judgment was already predetermined.
And Old Song... although the process was somewhat tortuous, the result was good in the end.
However, with the first trial concluded, he could finally release his video.
Jingzhou's market supervision was probably aiming for a major overhaul this time, investing heavily in publicity and even providing him with materials. After all, he, Old Tang, had become something of a minor internet celebrity in Jingzhou, and he was also a party involved.
On his way home, Tang Fangjing started working on his video using his dilapidated laptop.
He had to highlight his own hard work, and even more so, the contributions of those university students. If he didn't do well this time, they might not want to work with him again.
Being from that age group himself, he understood clearly what university students wanted. They didn't care about the money; they cared about the fun!
Especially the fun that came from their direct participation and went viral!
After some time, a twenty-minute video was complete. Having worked in operations before, editing a video was nothing to him.
After pondering, he attached the title: "Intermediaries cheat with fake listings and say it's the norm, challenging me to sue if I dared?"