Super Zoo

In the intensive care unit of Yangchuan City First People's Hospital, Zhou Jin, with several tubes inserted into his arm, lay despondently on the hospital bed, his eyes listlessly staring at the ceiling.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The hospital did not treat Zhou Jin harshly because he was a criminal; on the contrary, the conditions in the room were very good. The heating was turned up high, and outside the window was a scenic garden area. The few nurses responsible for the ward were, to say the least, quite attractive—scoring at least eighty points. If he wasn't seriously ill, living here would be almost like recuperation—refreshing and invigorating.

But Zhou Jin had no interest in any of these things; his heart felt ice cold.

At first, he could not understand at all why a flawless plan that could have led to Suming's demise had ended so abruptly, as if his opponent had known everything in advance!

He even felt that all his plans had been seen through by the other party, as if he had been under the impression that he held the initiative from the beginning to the end, yet it was all just following the opponent's rhythm.

Looking back, it was as if he had dug a pit for himself and buried himself in it.

When the investigation team brought the "tainted witness," the bald man, to his room for an interview, he immediately understood everything.

His most trusted confidant, the bald man, had betrayed him!

With the bald man turning traitor, there were no secrets left at his end! Every single move was crystal clear to Suming, who observed everything calmly, waiting until the most critical moment to let the bald man come forward and report, delivering a fatal blow to him.

"I'm just a joke, eh!" Zhou Jin's mouth was filled with a bitter taste. He had been strategizing extensively, only to end up a clown on the stage.

Though he was in pain and anger, he had not given up hope.

Having faced numerous challenges in half a lifetime in society, Zhou Jin had his exceptional strengths that had brought him to his current position!

He had spent a huge sum of money, nearly all his earnings from recent years, to finally get a postponed sentence for a year. No matter what, he still had control over the Huating Reservoir, and the foundations of the fisheries company were still intact. As long as he could get out of the hospital smoothly and continue to run the fisheries company, there would always be a day for a comeback.

This is an age of forgetfulness. How many shocking news stories appear on the internet every day? Yet in no time at all, they are gradually forgotten. As long as he remains resolute and continues running the company, once the storm passes, a resurgence is not impossible!

"One day I will let everyone know that what I've lost, I will personally take back!" Suddenly, Zhou Jin thought of a line from the movie "A Better Tomorrow," and it could not be more appropriate for this moment.

Just then, the door of the ward was pushed open, and two court officers in uniform walked in.

"Comrade Zhou Jin, on behalf of Yangchuan City Intermediate People's Court, I am notifying you that a civil dispute will be heard in court the day after tomorrow. Eleven breeders from Yangchuan City have jointly sued you for unfair competition, causing them tremendous economic losses. This is the court summons. The hearing will be in the second courtroom in two days, and we hope that you can…" The court official glanced at the various tubes in Zhou Jin's arm and shook his head, continuing, "It's alright if you can't attend. The court will appoint a defense attorney for you. I'll leave the summons here."

After speaking, the official placed a court summons at the head of Zhou Jin's bed and left, leaving Zhou Jin lying on the bed, dumbfounded and speechless.

…

```

Two days later, the second tribunal of the Yangchuan City Intermediate People's Court opened a session to hear the 'civil dispute' in absence of the defendant, Zhou Jin, who was ill and unable to attend.

The plaintiffs, a group of eleven breeders mainly from Shuijun Lake, sued Zhou Jin for using unfair competition means to spread rumors, which directly led to a depressed fishery market in Yangchuan City. Just Suming's household alone lost almost 600,000 yuan in orders during the relatively short period of the rumors, and the other households combined suffered a direct loss of more than 2 million yuan.

This was just the visible direct loss. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs also added claims for mental and reputational compensation. Zhou Jin's actions amounted to a collective mockery, greatly damaging the reputation of all Yangchuan City breeders.

The plaintiff's lawyer believed that, although investigations later proved the plaintiff's innocence, the malevolent impact was difficult to fully reverse. Especially since Zhou Jin, as the vice-chairman of the Fisheries Association, was secretly spreading rumors and suppressing local breeders, the fishery market in Yangchuan City would face a difficult situation for a long period, losing a significant portion of the public's trust.

Therefore, Zhou Jin should compensate not only for the direct losses but also be responsible for future indirect losses.

As for the evidence, the government's investigative group had already looked into it thoroughly, reaching a conclusion with no room for doubt.

As for the defendant, or Zhou Jin's lawyer, they couldn't come up with any substantial rebuttal. The entire court session from beginning to end was just a formality, with only a symbolic mention of the defendant's poor health at the time of closing, hoping the court would take a humanitarian approach and consider mitigating the sentence.

"Now announcing the judgment of case number 2014180, Yangzi Civil, all rise."

Everyone in the courtroom stood up as the chief judge read the judgment dispassionately, "The defendant, Zhou Jin, for violating..."

"Compensate the eleven breeding households a total of 4.6 million Huaxia currency exactly. This judgment is delivered to both plaintiff and defendant, effective from the date of issuance."

After the trial, Suming exchanged a few words with the other breeders and then went forward to shake hands with Zhang Si Ming, the lawyer introduced by Zhao Yun.

"Mr. Zhang, we'll need your attention for the matters to come."

It's not to say that as soon as the court orders compensation, the money will be surely received. In fact, in many cases, the judgment has little effect; if the defendant simply refuses to pay, there's nothing that can be done, and they can even abstain from attending the court sessions.

This is how many defiant debtors are made, having the money but just dragging their feet about paying, leaving the plaintiff winning the case but not only failing to get a penny but also having to pay various expenses—a classic case of winning the trial but losing money.

Thus, the follow-up compensation matters still require a competent lawyer, someone with good relationships on all sides, to break through various barriers and ensure the compensation is smoothly received.

On the police side, the Nangong family has connections as her father is a leader in the municipal criminal police team. As for the court, that's where professionals like lawyer Zhang Si Ming come into play.

Continue your adventure at empire

"Rest assured, you're a friend of Zhao's, and I will certainly take good care of the matter he's entrusted to me," said Zhang Si Ming with a smile.

"However, I've heard that Huating Fisheries Company's accounts don't have much money left, hardly enough to cover the compensation. It might even come to asset liquidation," Suming learned from Baldy that Zhou Jin had been spending money like water over the last six months, leaving less than one million yuan in liquid funds in the company accounts.

Lawyer Zhang Si Ming sensed that there was more to Suming's words, and glanced around. Seeing that there was no one nearby, he pulled Suming into a corner of the corridor and whispered, "What would you like to do?"

```