Chapter 31: The Trial Approaches, the War of Words Begins

Three days later, Cheng Cheng returned to the capital.

The film crew was still shooting in Fuhai City. Most of his scenes had been wrapped up over the previous two days, leaving only a few concluding shots. He had returned to the capital because the court hearing for his case against Zhang Jiao was about to begin.

He had already seen many of his lawsuits against netizens and influential social media figures through to their conclusion. In cases of defamation and infringement of reputation rights, a win was almost guaranteed; it was simply a matter of whether the aggrieved party chose to pursue it. Most of these netizens and influencers had paid damages ranging from one hundred to ten thousand yuan and had issued public apologies. Since he had previously hired representatives to handle these matters, Cheng Cheng had not needed to return, but this time was different. This was a critical hearing that would determine the direction of his future.

If he won, he could naturally return to the public eye. Although no one might dare to hire him yet, he would at least be vindicated regarding the allegations of infidelity, wrongdoing, or violation of public moral standards, allowing him to clear his name. However, if he lost, he would likely face a fierce backlash from public opinion, and the efforts of the past two months would be washed away.

It was not as if he would have no place in the entertainment industry or that this would be a death sentence. He could simply work behind the scenes or move to Hollywood. After all, he possessed a wealth of literary works, most notably *The Three-Body Problem* and *The Little Prince*, both of which had global appeal. He could make a fortune on these two books alone, and the system might even provide foreign literary works in the future. He had once seen *Inception* appear on the prize wheel, even if he hadn't managed to win it.

But those were fallback plans. If he could develop his career domestically, he would certainly prioritize that. Therefore, the immediate priority was to win this lawsuit.

As soon as he exited the airport, Cheng Cheng was surrounded by his legal team and escorted to a waiting car. The hearing was scheduled for two o'clock in the afternoon. In the car, his defense attorney, Qin Wei, began to analyze their chances.

"Mr. Cheng," Qin Wei said, "whether looking at the evidence or the legal aspects, things are leaning in our favor. We have sufficient evidence and an unbreakable legal basis."

Cheng Cheng knew the "but" was coming. Sure enough, Qin Wei frowned and said with difficulty, "However, this is a major social issue with high public attention. The judge might be influenced by external factors; the verdict does not entirely depend on our evidence and legal basis."

Cheng Cheng had expected this; in fact, he felt Qin Wei was being understated. Qin Wei was clearly implying that the court might ignore the evidence when delivering the verdict. In civil lawsuits like this, which did not involve criminal charges, the judge had significant discretionary power. The ruling could go either way depending on the judge’s leanings, and regardless of the outcome, there would be public outcry in the short term.

Cheng Cheng raised an eyebrow. "You know who the judging team is?" If they didn't know who the judge was, Qin Wei wouldn't be this pessimistic.

Qin Wei sighed. "We do." He handed Cheng Cheng a file and said, "These are cases this judge has presided over in the past. In many instances that seemed indisputable, she ruled in the opposite direction."

Cheng Cheng flipped through the pages, clicking his tongue in disbelief. He was shocked by several of the cases, but he didn't utter the foolish question of how she could have ruled that way.

"Is it likely we will lose?" Cheng Cheng asked.

Qin Wei nodded. "We can only make the best preparations and seize every opportunity. Mr. Cheng, please rest assured. Even if the final verdict isn't entirely up to us, since you hired us, we will take responsibility and give it our all. Perhaps things won't turn out as we expect?"

Cheng Cheng patted his shoulder with understanding. There was no look of frustration or anger on his face; he only said, "Let me look at the case files again. I need to prepare."

"Very well."

***

Online, news that the case of Cheng Cheng suing Zhang Jiao for libel and defamation had reached the trial stage had already spread. Cheng Cheng’s supporters, Zhang Jiao’s followers, various onlookers, and sensationalist accounts had begun to take sides, even attacking one another.

"There shouldn't be any room for doubt here, right? Blocking and deleting someone for two months—anyone with eyes can see they had effectively broken up. Zhang Jiao’s accusation of infidelity is just unreasonable harassment. Only those whose brains are in their rear ends are still siding with her. If Cheng Cheng loses this, I’ll be speechless."

"I hope Cheng Cheng wins. If he does, I’m setting off fireworks!"

"To think a former lover would engage in such malicious rumors—the dark side of human nature is truly unimaginable."

"It’s been two months. Beyond a few screenshots that were later proven to be incomplete, does Zhang Jiao have any hard evidence? Don't tell me it's hard to find—Cheng Cheng released all the chat logs! If there was evidence, wouldn't she have found it? And this woman even claimed in a group chat that Cheng Cheng had 'hookups' in every city. Have you heard of any other woman coming forward? Is that normal?"

"You think Cheng Cheng will win? Don't think that just because you released the chat logs, you can flip the narrative. You even exposed the girl's name, school, and personal information. Nobody knew who she was before, but you exposed everything. Isn't that an invasion of privacy? I don't believe you can win under these circumstances!"

"Cheng Cheng will lose! Cheng Cheng will lose!"

"I don't want to see you; you're too low. How dare you sue?"

"Don't think that winning a lawsuit against netizens clears your name. Everyone knows what happened; winning against netizens doesn't mean anything!"

"Our demands are no longer on the same dimension. You repair your image, we uphold our sense of justice. Let us see who victory stands with in the end!"

"Cheating men should die!"

Soon, a lawyer and social media influencer stepped forward and posted on Weibo: "Analyzing this from a legal perspective, I do not believe Cheng Cheng will win, neither in terms of reason nor law. First, legally speaking, blocking and deleting someone does not equate to a breakup, as there is no written or verbal agreement proving the relationship ended. Without a clear declaration or action, the woman can claim they were still in a relationship. Second, if the woman’s exposure of Cheng Cheng’s behavior online is factual, it does not constitute defamation. And is it fact? If they hadn't broken up, the infidelity is true, so that would be fact..."

He went on to say much more, but it all boiled down to one point: Cheng Cheng cheated, and Cheng Cheng would lose. This influencer frequently commented on social events, always appearing like a clown right on cue. Yet, no one could do anything to him because while he was subtly causing trouble, he always hid behind a veneer of legal jargon, using terms like "legally speaking" or "in my opinion." These were expressions of opinion and could not be classified as defamation. Furthermore, he was a lawyer himself and knew how to defend his own interests; "lawsuits" and "reports" were completely useless against him.

He was also extremely "shrewd" and cunning. With three hundred and sixty-five social events a year, he would offer three hundred and sixty-five opinions. Eventually, one of his takes would strike a chord with someone. Even if you disagreed with him on one issue, you might find yourself on his side on the next. Because of that single instance, you might think he was still a champion of justice, leading you to follow him or change your opinion of him. Such people are truly impossible to resolve.

Only veteran internet users who were accustomed to the online world could see his true nature: he was an internet parasite who had long ago sold his soul to the devil.

As expected, once his Weibo post was published, it opened up a new battlefield. Zhang Jiao’s supporters were cheering and agitated, while Cheng Cheng’s supporters were furious, wishing they could tear the lawyer’s mouth shut.

"He can even spin this?"

"Truly shameless!"

"A clown!"

"When will this guy be banned?"

"Using the law to conduct such sophistry—it's people like you who ruin the discourse!"