My autobiography is definitely not a tragedy!
Chapter 692 - 433

Chapter 692: 433

The boss was a middle-aged man with an honest face, who was now sitting behind the barbecue stand, sweating profusely as he busied himself. His skin had turned dark and shiny from long-term exposure to the smoke and flames of cooking.

Upon seeing Lin Haitang, the man seemed to want to come over and greet her, but there were too many customers and the stall was clearly overwhelmed. He could only nod apologetically as a way of saying hello.

It was only then that Meng Lang noticed that the man’s right sleeve was empty; he was working entirely with one hand.

"Lawyer Lin, please have a seat. This gentleman... is he your boyfriend?"

Meng Lang immediately put on a smile, "Yes, I am her boyfriend! Sister Liu, you have good eyesight!"

Lin Haitang rolled her eyes but showed no intention of arguing.

The two of them sat down, with Sister Liu occasionally coming over to add more dishes, clearly giving them special attention. It seemed she was very familiar with Lin Haitang.

"I didn’t expect you to like places like this. But seeing Sister Liu’s warmth, it must be more than just you being a regular customer, right?"

"Yes! Sister Liu’s husband got disabled in an accident, and the construction company refused to pay compensation. This was the first case I took on after graduation."

Meng Lang was taken aback.

Lin Haitang watched the busy couple, a look of reminiscence in her eyes.

"With the breadwinner down and two kids still in elementary school, their situation was no different than if the sky had fallen.

Eventually, we won the lawsuit, and the compensation helped Sister Liu’s family through the toughest of times.

Life is still hard now, but they’ve managed to pull through.

So whenever I’m feeling down or things aren’t going well at work, I come to this barbecue stand.

Seeing them, I feel like I can see the meaning of my own efforts..."

Meng Lang, looking at Lin Haitang who finally had a hint of a relaxed smile on her face, smiled too.

"So this place really does hold a special significance for you. Bringing me here means..."

"Yes! I wanted to tell you that all I have in my heart right now are my ideals and work!"

"..."

Meng Lang was speechless.

He couldn’t help but point to the couple.

"See? Work or ideals, they can support and rely on each other."

Lin Haitang sighed. "Since I was young, I’ve told myself not to rely too much on anyone.

Because from reliance comes expectation, and from expectation comes disappointment..."

Meng Lang knew she was thinking of her father, still unable to move past the shadows of her childhood.

Ice doesn’t form in a single day; he sighed helplessly and could only raise his hand.

"Boss, ten more skewers of lamb! 5 oysters, 2 bottles of beer! Thank you!"

Then he bowed his head and focused on the barbecue on the table.

Lin Haitang glanced at him. "Are you mad?"

"No, just got a bit of a craving. To tell you the truth, after quitting for a few months, seeing this food today is kind of irresistible." Meng Lang laughed and raised the skewer in his hand.

"Quit? Why quit?"

Meng Lang couldn’t help but sigh and rubbed his stomach, as if feeling the "pain" of a fallen comrade...

"Alas! That’s a story from a long time ago..."

Lin Haitang looked puzzled. "It only happened a few months ago; you call that a long time?"

"Who turned time into fireworks, a brief moment to witness prosperity.

Who wove youth into a splendid tapestry, a fleeting second to cleanse all the leaden makeup."

"Uhh... what do you mean?"

Why on earth was he reciting poetry now?

"It means, for some people, a few months pass in the blink of an eye, yet for others, it feels like centuries have passed..." Meng Lang spread his hands.

"...have you noticed your speech is starting to sound like those verbose monks? Always speaking in riddles."

Meng Lang gave a mysterious smile. "Hehe! I’m not speaking in riddles; I just shared my biggest secret with you."

"Secret? I didn’t catch any secret."

"That’s because... we are too far apart."

Lin Haitang was taken aback. "What do you mean ’too far apart’?"

Meng Lang put down his skewer, sighed deeply with a look of regret.

"You see, you always stand high up in the courtroom, listing various charges against me, the defendant, and criticizing me, but you’ve never thought to stand in the lawyer’s shoes to defend me.

From the start, you’ve assumed I’m a criminal.

That’s why you can’t hear my voice."

Lin Haitang: "..."

If I can’t persuade you, I’ll just have to fight Magic with Magic, and Law with a lawyer!

Meng Lang looked at her seriously.

"Growth takes away more than just time, it also takes away the courage to not fear loss.

I understand you, but you also know that the law is based on ’presumption of innocence’, and judgments can’t be emotional.

Isn’t it unfair to sentence someone to death without any evidence?

Why not try to believe just once, and give a verdict like an acquittal?"

[Presumption of innocence is a legal principle that considers everyone innocent until proven guilty by law.]

Lin Haitang fell silent for a while.

After a long time, she finally asked slowly.

"What if... the judge’s personal bias is too strong and the verdict is still death?"

Meng Lang’s smile faltered.

All this talk and still a death sentence? That’s plain obstinacy!

She can’t be persuaded, so now I have to be shameless...

"Then may I ask, does the death sentence also include life deprivation of political rights?"

Meng Lang was serious as if he were discussing a real legal issue.

"Uhh..."

This question left Mr. Lin speechless.

If he’s sentenced to death, what does it matter if his political rights are deprived or not... afraid he’ll come back to life?

"What if they’re not deprived?" Lin Haitang tried asking.

Meng Lang chuckled.

"If I’m sentenced to death but retain political rights, couldn’t I exploit a loophole, like... getting elected president and then granting myself a pardon?

What do you think of that idea?"

Lin Haitang: "..."

In this day and age, it’s not the fear of hooligans who can fight, but the fear of cultured hooligans...