The hearing time was set for half-past four in the afternoon. Ten minutes before the session, the involved parties gradually arrived, including the litigant Zhang E and her husband Qian Hao.

Qian Hao looked smug, completely disregarding the judge and jury, like someone watching a drama, laughing exaggeratedly, seemingly confident that he could win the lawsuit.

Shi Keke was not surprised by his reaction, for Qian Hao’s defense lawyer was also considered an elite in the industry, having practiced law for ten years and won numerous cases.

However, his reputation was poor because he completely lacked professional ethics as a lawyer, frequently exploiting legal loopholes to exonerate criminals. As long as the other party provided him with significant benefits, he would clear their charges by any means necessary.

His name was Chen Shijin, thirty-four years old, quite handsome, with a moderate height and build, but the glasses perched on his nose detracted from his appearance.

Shi Keke disliked nearsighted men the most because she always felt that a man wouldn’t go blind unless he was lewd.

She admitted that this was a prejudice but then denied it was a prejudice because Chen Shijin was precisely such a man, one who appeared gentle and courteous externally yet was a cunning old fox inside.

He frequently used work-related discussions as an excuse to take inappropriate liberties with female colleagues. Considering his authority in the legal world and the vast network he had gathered through dubious means, many female colleagues knew better than to offend him, thereby swallowing their grievances.

Because this society is too realistic, to survive, one must learn the survival skills of reading others’ faces.

As Shi Keke entered the courtroom, Chen Shijin immediately approached her warmly, extending his hand, "Lawyer Shi, it’s been a long time. I’m honored to be your opponent today, and I hope you’ll go easy on me."

Shi Keke hadn’t been practicing as long as Chen Shijin, yet her accumulated experience over the years was no less than his. She was the only lawyer in the industry who had never lost a case, so even Chen Shijin had to respectfully call her "Lawyer" before her.

Though his attitude was indeed friendly, there was a hidden message, reminding Shi Keke to "be careful."

Of course, Shi Keke wasn’t deaf to the undertone, as this was not her first encounter with Chen Shijin.

They had clashed in court three times before, with Shi Keke narrowly winning once, and drawing twice because Chen Shijin realized he was outmatched and persuaded the involved parties to reconcile outside of court during recess, thus resolving the crisis.

Shi Keke was well aware that Chen Shijin was no easy opponent. Speaking of the most formidable adversary she encountered, it had to be him.

Before the trial, she didn’t know Qian Hao’s lawyer was Chen Shijin, nor did she expect Qian Hao would find him, thus she was careless, overlooking some details and not reviewing cases previously handled by Chen Shijin.

The saying goes ’know your enemy and yourself, and you will win every battle,’ but this time she did not prepare sufficiently, forcing her to fight blindly.

She was unable to predict or control the outcome of winning or losing, but what she could do was to exert her utmost effort to fight this lawsuit, seeking justice for her client.