Reservoir Dogs chapter 16
Lapdog
The next day, Xiao Zhou woke up early from a nightmare. He sat dazedly by the bedside for a while before putting on the clothes he had hung up the day before. Jiang Chengyuan seemed to like him dressed this way; that intensely passionate look couldn’t be mistaken.
As they left, they ran into Ji Yang, who emerged from the neighboring room. He had changed into a more subdued suit, meticulously detailed, accentuating his physique.
However, he didn’t look well-rested, as if he hadn’t slept all night. His expression was gloomy, and when he saw them, he didn’t approach them as eagerly as before, seeming indifferent and unwilling to engage.
The seminar was held in the auditorium of the school next to the hotel. The scene was grand, with a large crowd, and the seating arranged radially from the center outward. The venue could accommodate over ten thousand people, and there were leaders from the judiciary present to provide guidance.
Since they were heading back right after the seminar, they had already checked out of the hotel. Xiao Zhou had to follow along. He entered the auditorium with Jiang Chengyuan, but soon got separated in the crowd of people coming to greet Jiang. Jiang Chengyuan had a name tag and was seated in the most prominent and central spot, while Xiao Zhou quietly found an inconspicuous seat near the door.
The seats around him quickly filled with young, student-like attendees. Those who came later had to sit or stand on the steps. This academic seminar was quite open, attracting many who came to audit from nearby schools.
First, there were a series of speeches, followed by waves of applause. Then the experts spoke, presenting their papers and showing PPTs. This was the usual process for such large seminars.
The theme this time seemed to be the precision of sentencing defense, focusing on criminal law. Jiang Chengyuan, seated in the center, was surrounded by people. In his crisp suit, with sharp eyebrows and a cold gaze, he was strikingly handsome. Compared to the overweight, balding senior lawyers and officials next to him, he truly stood out like a crane among chickens.
From his inconspicuous corner, Xiao Zhou watched from afar. No matter the angle, his gaze was always drawn to Jiang Chengyuan, who was simply too eye-catching.
Occasionally, he could hear surprised remarks from nearby, “So that’s Jiang Chengyuan? So young and handsome! I thought he’d be an old man.”
“Yeah, he looks like an idol celebrity. When he was standing there, I thought the organizers had hired a male model for the event.”
Someone quickly added, “When Lawyer Jiang took on the Lin Jianxi case, he was not yet 30. He became famous quickly. He’s probably not even 40 yet.”
A disdainful voice chimed in, “They say your appearance reflects your heart. I thought even if he didn’t lack a nose or eyes, he’d at least look mean and sleazy. Heaven really must be blind.”
Another person, presumably someone who knew him, said, “Don’t hold such a grudge against him. To reach this position so young, he’s truly impressive.”
The person snorted, “He’s impressive only because he’s thick-skinned. He probably knocked on the door of every court official except maybe the Chief Justice’s.”
Someone else, unable to stand it, retorted, “If he wins a case, they say he used connections. If he loses, they say he’s incompetent. You are hard to please.”
Someone echoed, “Right, whether you like it or not, you have to admit his defense in that case was excellent—precise angles, technical route, clear reasoning, step by step. Despite the controversy, his defense for Lin Jianxi’s case was deemed the best of the year by the media and the National Lawyers Association, and recognized by the Supreme Court. That’s professionalism, not the sleaze you imagine.”
“Recognized, but it still stirred public outrage, leading to a death sentence revision the next year. It became the first case where a second instance final judgment was altered. No one came out clean—the court was left dirty, Lin Jianxi ended up dead, and Jiang Chengyuan made money, gained fame, and stole the spotlight.”
“That was due to other considerations. Setting aside right and wrong, I’ve reviewed his defense and the final court verdict countless times. Focusing solely on the case, Jiang Chengyuan’s defense was impeccable, the most perfect, leading to that sole conclusion.”
“He defends corrupt officials and criminal gangs. The police risk their lives to catch them, and he uses a few words to turn black into white, playing word games to get them off. Now he’s an expert in your eyes. He’s just a lapdog for the rich, living off their favor, and proud of finding legal loopholes for them.”
This person spoke with growing emotion, words gritted through teeth, on the verge of causing an argument.
Someone intervened, “Alright, enough arguing. We’re all here to learn. If you have such strong opinions, maybe this isn’t the right field for you.”
“Exactly, why argue? If you want to argue, do it outside. I can’t hear the speaker anymore. What did he just say?”
“Oh, nothing much. He just finished talking about nature and definitions. Now he’s starting on the five forms of classification.”
“Again? Didn’t the last speaker cover this?”
“Listen again, maybe there’s a new perspective.”
…
After each speech, there was a discussion session. Jiang Chengyuan occasionally commented, usually briefly, avoiding formalities. His remarks often cut to the heart of complex issues, stripping away the unnecessary and revealing the essence.
Although there was criticism, Xiao Zhou noticed that the loud person took notes and thought just as seriously as those around him, with a voice recorder lit up beside him.
Not understanding his character, yet can’t help but be impressed by him. This might be the highest praise for Jiang Chengyuan in his professional field.
Xiao Zhou didn’t really understand much of this kind of seminar.
Later, a scholar cited a real case when discussing the sentencing for an intentional injury crime. Xiao Zhou got up and left halfway through.
Outside the auditorium doors, directly ahead was the school’s large playground, teeming with youthful boys and girls. Someone quickly rode a bicycle past him, and the flying hem of their clothes stirred up a breeze.
The sunlight outlined the teaching building, the red rubber track, the lush green grass, the football field, the basketball hoops, and the students chasing and playing.
Some were memorizing words on the playground, others were couples in love, and there were also clubs holding activities.
Everything was so familiar, lively, and vibrant, as if it were just yesterday.
Walking across the playground, Xiao Zhou, who looked quite young and indeed wasn’t very old, was mistaken for a student and handed a club flyer as the clubs were recruiting new members.
The girl had big round eyes and a voice as clear as a nightingale. When she smiled, two dimples appeared. “Hello, we’re the school debate team. We’re recruiting new members in Chongwen Building in three days. If you’re interested, you can come and have a look.”
Xiao Zhou didn’t refuse and took a glance at the flyer.
The girl asked him a few more questions, but seeing him lower his head and not respond, she thought he wasn’t interested and went to approach other juniors.
After the girl left, Xiao Zhou read the flyer twice more carefully before folding it and putting it in his pocket.
Crossing the playground, he saw the school’s convenience store with a green plastic canopy, and there weren’t many people around.
Xiao Zhou went in, looked around, and bought the cheapest pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
The inferior tobacco was extremely bitter. He hadn’t smoked for a long time. The pack Luo Hao had given him was half-smoked and then saved as a memento, but it got damp and the smell was off, so he couldn’t smoke it anymore. He kept it as a keepsake.
He held a cigarette in his mouth, leaned against the convenience store door, and looked outside.
That day, the sky was unusually blue, clear and pure, almost like it could squeeze out paint. The wind blew and scattered the wisps of white clouds.
It was the weekend, and the students had gone out to play. The convenience store owner, bored with nothing to do, caught him as the only customer and started asking questions. Asked his name, age, year, and college department, and then told him that smoking was bad and not to mimic what he saw on TV, trying to look cool and stylish. It only damaged the lungs and left you with a body full of ailments.
Xiao Zhou answered the first question but didn’t respond to the others. When the owner lectured him, he nodded in agreement, “It’s not good. I don’t smoke much, only when I’m upset.” He paused, looked at the campus in front of him, and said slowly, with a nostalgic look, “I haven’t been back here for a long time. Seeing it now, I really miss it.”
The owner said, “Already graduated? Still coming back to see your alma mater, that’s good, nostalgic.”
Xiao Zhou smiled, took a deep drag of his cigarette, suppressing the melancholy rising in his chest.
They chatted a bit more. The owner found him surprisingly agreeable and offered him a mung bean popsicle.
In the end, they both sat on small stools in front of the convenience store, sunbathing and chatting aimlessly.
Xiao Zhou responded perfunctorily, in a state where the other person said ten sentences, and he replied with two words. But he was very relaxed and unguarded.
He occasionally looked at the playground, occasionally at the yellow-walled, red-roofed school auditorium that looked like a big oil drum. The entrance was full of bicycles, and since there was a meeting inside, there were few people going in and out.
But suddenly, a familiar figure caught his eye, flashed past, and disappeared into the door.
He widened his eyes and then stood up abruptly.