Final Civilization

Chapter 3: Law Firm

"Lawyer Han, my neighbor threatened to beat me up. Tell me, how badly do I need to be beaten before he pays the most?"

"Dead."

"Lawyer Han, a worker at my factory was injured on the job and delayed our delivery schedule. Can I sue their family for compensation?"

"If their fate is stubborn enough, yes."

"Lawyer Han, can I legally donate sperm directly to the recipient?"

"Soliciting prostitution: 15 days detention, fine 5,000."

"Lawyer Han, I think my husband is cheating. How can I make him leave with nothing?"

"Do you have evidence?"

"If I had evidence, why would I be hiring a lawyer?"

"Consultation fee is 600 per hour.""Then never mind. By the way, Lawyer Han, are you free for dinner tonight?"

"After six, 1,000 per hour."

"What about… an overnight package?"

"Turn left when you go out."

…

On the nineteenth floor of Huatian Tower, an afternoon of bizarre consultations left Han Ming, who was mentally elsewhere, with a throbbing head.

He recalled what had been said in last night’s dream at the police station.

"You mean the world is about to be destroyed, you were chosen to be humanity’s Wallfacer, strange events have appeared around you, you can live forever, and you can control the world’s wealth?"

In his private life, Han Ming was a fairly simple person, casual by nature. He had skimmed through all kinds of books, and he had read the masterpiece The Three-Body Problem back in college, so the term Wallfacer was by no means unfamiliar to him.

A Wallfacer is a strategist and leader chosen by humanity to fight the Trisolarans. Because sophons can understand human language, read any books and computer-stored information, Earth has no secrets from the Trisolarans, but sophons cannot monitor human thought.

To gain strategic advantage, the Wallfacer Project was created. A chosen Wallfacer can independently devise strategic plans without explaining them to outsiders, mobilize vast resources, and even use hibernation technology to transcend time.

In other words, a Wallfacer enjoys the highest authority in human civilization while shouldering the heaviest risks and pressure.

To counter the Wallfacer Project, the ETO also selects Wallbreakers who analyze the Wallfacer’s actions and resource allocations to reveal hidden strategic intentions and destroy humanity’s will to resist.

But… this is all sci-fi. If Wallfacers exist in this world, does that mean the world is really facing destruction?

One more thing puzzled Han Ming: if a Wallfacer can mobilize the world’s resources, logically it should be a United Nations public plan.

Yet the current world is peaceful, civilizations are thriving, and even granting a huge concession—if he truly were a Wallfacer—wouldn’t he at least be told his mission and what he would face?

Han Ming looked at his bank account, essentially filled with near-infinite wealth, and his expression soured.

"A nation’s banking system is its economic lifeline. For sums of this magnitude to be mobilized without oversight means the authority sits above the highest national powers…"

"And if such large sums flow into society, wouldn’t that trigger inflation?"

"Ugh…"

Han Ming let out a wry laugh. From a dramatic angle, he was effectively financially free, yet his head ached like never before.

He took a deep breath, picked up the phone, and scrolled to a contact.

Lin Xiaoyi had been Han Ming’s classmate from high school through university and could be called a close friend, though Han Ming rarely contacted him. Not out of dislike, but because Han Ming’s temperament resisted wallowing in that friend’s lifestyle.

Han Ming came from a small city as a study-focused kid, while Lin Xiaoyi was a wealthy Jinghai playboy. Not from a great family, but soon after getting his driver’s license he received a 4 million-yuan Mercedes G-Class—hardly modest.

Unlike typical wastrels, Lin Xiaoyi, despite frequently changing girlfriends, was smart among the second generation of wealth. He had invested in esports, racing, and otaku-related industries and had actually achieved some success.

Han Ming knew Lin Xiaoyi had expansive channels, so he wanted to ask for help, to see if Lin’s connections could dig up information about the Wallfacer.

The call connected instantly, and a sour, teasing voice came through.

"Oh-ho, if it isn’t Big Lawyer Han. What made you think of calling me? Wait, let me guess, you miss me!"

"You’re wrong. I’m asking if you can find some hard-to-find stuff online," Han Ming cut straight to the point.

"Hard-to-find stuff?"

Lin Xiaoyi chuckled. "Hey, you lawyers have internal systems, what can’t you find? Besides, what case needs you, Big Lawyer Han, to use dirty tricks to dig up leads? Not your style… oh wait, actually that is your blunt style."

"Get to the point."

"Of course I can. Um… basically Tor dark web or underground marketplaces. What exactly are you looking for?"

"You don’t need to know what. Just secure a channel to find it."

"Heh, no time~"

"Name your price."

"Come to my place for dinner."

"Change it."

"Buy me dinner outside, but I pick the place, I pick the menu."

"Deal."

After hanging up, Han Ming went to the lounge, made himself a cup of coffee, and mulled over the morning’s events.

Combining thirteen predictive regressions with the clues he’d observed, Han Ming had already figured out the identity of the little girl he had rescued.

Yan Duoduo, Yan Jing’s daughter from Tianzhou International.

A simple background check showed this woman was far beyond Han Ming’s usual circle; if this got entangled with him, it would definitely be trouble.

…

Bang!

Qin Shanhai slammed his hand on the table and jabbed a finger down hard.

"A petty property lawsuit blown up to the point the defendant came to make trouble at our office, making a laughingstock of Mr. Zhao from Anke—three million in claims is now gone, who’s taking responsibility for this?!"

The conference room fell deathly silent, the atmosphere oppressive.

When Qin Shanhai finished shouting, he pointed toward the outer hall, furious. "Which junior lawyer surnamed Luo handled this? I’ve said it before, all those graduates from Jingfa and Hangfa are idiots. Fang Tiancheng’s recruitment standards are too low. These people should all get the boot!"

At this, several people in the room, Han Ming included, couldn’t help frowning, because they were graduates of Jingfa and Hangfa that Qin Shanhai was disparaging…

"What happened?"

Han Ming glanced at Qin’s outburst, then at Director Qi—sitting in the center, arms crossed, face grim—and quietly asked a colleague nearby.

"Sigh, poor Xiao Luo is just unlucky," the colleague murmured. "Xiao Luo took a property case. A couple came to Jinghai to help their son attend school and needed a place to live. Their niece went abroad and lent them the house, but then refused to give it back."

"Just that?"

"That was ten years ago. Now the house is worth over ten million."

"No wonder." Han Ming nodded meaningfully and asked, "If there’s property proof, that case shouldn’t be hard, right?"

"There is, so the first instance was won easily. Nothing big. Unexpectedly, that shameless couple came to our firm this morning to make a scene, caused quite a commotion, and unfortunately Mr. Zhao from Anke saw it and probably thought our firm unprofessional, so the client left by plane this afternoon."

"Then how is this Xiao Luo to blame?"

The colleague shrugged. "Just bad luck. The firm lost such a big client, Qin needed a scapegoat to vent. He looks down on Jingfa and Hangfa—hasn’t he only got an outdated Ivy League background? What a thing…"

"What are you saying!"

Qin Shanhai’s anger suddenly turned toward them. "Don’t you know the firm just took a major hit and you’re still chirping?"

He fixed his gaze on Han Ming, furrowed his brow, and said coldly, "Big Lawyer Han, I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors about you in the industry lately. They say you’re promising, eloquent, unflappable despite limited experience. So, any high opinions to share, or are you upset because I put down Jingfa and Hangfa?"

Han Ming smiled and replied directly, "I get you. Qin, what you mean is that in our legal industry, right and wrong are judged not by facts but by our alma mater’s international ranking. By that logic, Auburn College has dropped to sixteenth and Jingfa is fifteenth, so I must be wrong?"

"You!"

Qin Shanhai was momentarily speechless at being talked back to. He sized up Han Ming and sneered, then sat back down. "Fine. If Jingfa is so great, Lawyer Han, tell me how this should be handled and who should bear the loss?"

That accusation was enormous, practically dumping the firm’s future and this loss on Han Ming’s head. According to Qin’s logic, if he couldn’t solve it, it either meant Han Ming had failed or Jinghai Law School was to blame—a brazen tactic.

For a moment, all eyes in the conference room snapped to Han Ming.