Lu Mingjun felt that she had been given a second chance, and she worked harder than ever.
The Jiangfa Bank case could be considered Lu Mingjun's debut. Not only Jiang Xinxin, but even several other partners in the firm were paying attention to it—whether consciously or not.
After all, resources are limited. If they're allocated to one person, others naturally get less.
And just like that, the day of the pre-trial mediation for the Jiangfa Bank case arrived.
Lu Mingjun entered the mediation room carrying the power of attorney from Jiangfa Bank and her trainee lawyer certificate.
Jiangfa Bank did not send anyone to participate that day, as prior experience showed that pre-trial mediation organized by the court was rarely successful.
The plaintiffs were also not present in the mediation room. Representing them were Director Zhang Hua from the Manlian Institute and a young man.
Lu Mingjun greeted them first:
"I didn't expect Director Zhang to come in person today!"
Zhang Hua merely nodded, while the young man beside him smiled at Lu Mingjun.
Soon, the judge and clerk entered. The clerk closed the door, and the mediation officially began.
The judge verified both parties' identities and said,
"We will begin pre-court mediation for the case in which the plaintiff Wang Aizhen and eleven others sued the defendant, Jiangfa Bank, for compensation."
The judge spoke deliberately, and the clerk took notes by hand. Lu Mingjun sighed inwardly—computers were still not widely used in the courts.
After briefly summarizing the case, the judge looked at Lu Mingjun and Zhang Hua and asked,
"Attorneys for both the plaintiff and the defendant—do you accept mediation?"
Zhang Hua responded first. He put down his pen, adjusted his glasses, and said slowly,
"Judge Wang, our firm, Manlian Law, represents the eleven plaintiffs. We are willing to mediate with the defendant within a reasonable range."
Lu Mingjun noticed the clerk smiled at Zhang Hua while he was speaking. When Judge Wang turned to her for a response, she replied calmly,
"The legal responsibilities and rights in this case are clear. Our side has no obligation to compensate and is not a qualified defendant. Therefore, there is no basis for mediation."
The judge nodded and turned to Zhang Hua.
"Plaintiff counsel, you heard the defendant's position. Do you have a response?"
Zhang Hua frowned slightly but quickly regained his composure. He leaned back slightly and said,
"We are willing to acknowledge that Jiangfa Bank itself was not at fault in this case."
Then, raising his voice slightly, he continued,
"However, we must note that the criminal suspect, Jiang Ze, is an employee of the defendant. He committed fraud during working hours and on company premises. This indicates there were loopholes in Jiangfa Bank's internal management. Therefore, Jiangfa Bank should bear joint and several civil liability."
Zhang Hua then glanced sharply at Lu Mingjun, as if trying to read her reaction.
Lu Mingjun met his gaze without fear. She took a deep breath and said steadily,
"Your Honor, I would like to emphasize that Jiangfa Bank, as a publicly listed financial institution, has strict management systems and operational protocols."
She paused, organized her thoughts, and continued,
"Although Jiang Ze's fraud occurred during working hours and at the workplace, it was entirely a personal act. The eleven plaintiffs personally transferred their funds to accounts designated by Jiang Ze—not to any account belonging to the defendant. Therefore, Jiangfa Bank is not involved and should not bear liability for compensation."
She added,
"We understand the plaintiffs' distress over their financial losses, but it is not legal to demand that the defendant assume responsibility."
At this, Zhang Hua quickly countered,
"The fraud occurred on the defendant's business premises, and the perpetrator was an employee—"
Lu Mingjun interrupted firmly,
"Director Zhang, under our country's civil and commercial law, there are only two legal grounds for compensation: infringement and breach of contract. You've repeatedly stated that the defendant should be liable—so please clarify under which of these two grounds the defendant is obligated to compensate?"
Zhang Hua faltered. He clearly hadn't expected her to press from this angle and was momentarily at a loss for words.
He looked at Lu Mingjun with an unreadable expression. But even after a long pause, he couldn't refute her reasoning.
Sensing the tension, the judge cleared his throat and asked,
"Does the plaintiff have any additional comments or arguments?"
Zhang Hua took a deep breath to compose himself before speaking again,
"The court has not yet fully reviewed the case. Based on the current facts, legally speaking, Jiangfa Bank may not be directly liable."
He paused before continuing,
"However, as a socially responsible company, shouldn't Jiangfa Bank assume some moral responsibility? If this incident hadn't occurred within its premises, the eleven plaintiffs might not have trusted Jiang Ze so easily. Therefore, we believe the bank should provide some form of assistance or compensation."
Lu Mingjun smiled slightly and replied,
"Director Zhang, I understand your reasoning. But law is law, and morality is morality. We cannot alter legal principles or regulations due to sympathy or moral pressure."
She continued,
"Furthermore, from Jiangfa Bank's perspective, they did nothing wrong. If financial institutions are forced to take on massive liability for the criminal acts of a single individual, it would set a dangerous precedent and seriously disrupt the financial sector."
The judge nodded and said,
"The court has heard arguments from both the plaintiff and the defendant. Do either of you wish to add anything?"
Zhang Hua was quiet for a moment before shaking his head.
"No further comments."
Lu Mingjun also shook her head.
"I have nothing to add."
The judge confirmed again,
"Then I ask once more—do both parties agree to mediation?"
This time, the judge added,
"Or is the defendant willing to offer any assistance or compensation to the plaintiffs?"
Zhang Hua looked at Lu Mingjun, then at the judge, and finally nodded.
"The plaintiff accepts mediation."
Lu Mingjun responded calmly,
"I will need to consult my client before answering that question."
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