Lord of Mysteries: The New Black Emperor

Chapter 84: Hobert's Connections

Hobert concealed his emotions and said, "I regret what happened to your friend, but I must tell you, he needs a lawyer to defend him. Otherwise, he will not only have to pay compensation but also face jail time."

"Oh, Storms above!" Darren said, a bit agitated, "Bill's driving is at its best when he's had a drink! It's that wretched tobacco merchant! He doesn't understand the rules of navigating the river at all! That damned scoundrel! No one was hurt, but he's determined to send Bill to jail..."

Hobert quietly waited for Darren to vent his emotions before saying, "If you want me to defend your friend Bill, ask his family to bring the lawsuit and related documents to my law firm tomorrow or on Saturday."

Then Darren asked the question nearly every client would: "Can we win this case?"

"I need to review the plaintiff's lawsuit before giving you a specific answer." Hobert responded while taking out paper and a pen from his briefcase, writing down the address of his law firm.

Darren pocketed the address, thanked Hobert and Jacob, and hurriedly left.

Hobert also bid farewell to Jacob, promising to return in a few days.

By the time Hobert returned to the law firm by carriage, it was already after 3 PM.

He pulled out the third case Barton had given him and began reviewing it again. This case wasn't urgent, so he had placed it at the bottom of his list.

In fact, Hobert had already gone over the materials several times, but now he just wanted to sit quietly until the end of the day, at least appearing busy.

"Hobert!" A colleague called out as Hobert was idling. "A client specifically requested you to defend them."

Hobert was surprised. "Me?"

Since when did I become so famous?

"Yes." The colleague reminded him, "I overheard earlier; it's a plea of not guilty, and it seems quite complicated. If you're not confident, you might want to decline."

"Thanks." Hobert stood up and went to the reception room. Upon entering, he saw a well-dressed woman in her forties or fifties sitting in a chair, wearing some jewelry, though she looked a bit anxious.

Behind the woman stood a middle-aged man who seemed somewhat familiar and a young man who was a stranger. They were likely a butler and a servant.

The butler smiled when he saw Hobert enter. "Lawyer Hobert, we meet again."

Hobert finally remembered; this was Mr. Barron's butler. "Yes, Butler, we meet again. How is Mr. Barron?"

Now Hobert understood why this lady had specifically requested him—it was a referral from Mr. Barron.

"Very well," the butler replied, "A few days ago, the master bought another horse. You can often hear his hearty laughter."

Hobert smiled and nodded.

The woman sitting in the chair asked worriedly, "This is Lawyer Hobert?"

He was much younger than she had expected. Could she really trust him?

"Yes, madam," the butler introduced, "This is Mrs. Kent, Mr. Barron's aunt. She has a legal issue and hopes for your assistance."

Hobert sat down opposite Mrs. Kent and began to understand the case.

Mrs. Kent had an only son, Bruce Kent. Bruce divorced last year and had harbored resentment toward his former in-laws ever since, feeling that his wealthy in-laws had ruined his marriage.

Recently, Bruce had bought some explosives from the black market, fashioned them into a bomb, and threw it into his former in-laws' yard.

The family was quite frightened. After reporting the incident to the police, the prosecutor charged Bruce with explosion and attempted murder.

Mrs. Kent, a widow, had been traveling with friends when this happened, and upon returning, was informed that Bruce's trial was set for this Saturday, just two days away.

In a panic, she sought help from relatives and friends, and Mr. Baron recommended the diligent and responsible Lawyer Hobert to his aunt.

After understanding the general situation, Hobert asked Mrs. Kent, "Are you certain that Mr. Bruce did not ignite the fuse when he threw the homemade bomb?"

"I'm certain!" Mrs. Kent said. "I visited poor Bruce in prison. He said it was just a prank. The fuse was taped to the outside of the bomb, so even if it was lit, it couldn't have ignited the explosives."

Hobert nodded. "Did you bring a copy of the plaintiff's lawsuit?"

"I did."

While reviewing the lawsuit, Mrs. Kent, both angry and anxious, said, "The Wyatt family (Bruce's former in-laws) are a bunch of scoundrels! When Bruce fell in love with their daughter, I warned him that Wyatts was poor and arrogant. I told him to be cautious with the marriage, and I was right in the end."

"Oh, Goddess! That loathsome Wyatt ruined my son's family, and now he wants to send my son to jail! How can such a scoundrel exist?"

"There's no need for you to get upset, madam," Hobert smiled. "It's precisely our value as lawyers to seek justice for our clients. I've reviewed the plaintiff's lawsuit and feel quite confident about this defense. Do you wish to hire me to defend your son?"

"Of course, Lawyer Hobert. The moment I saw you, I knew only a young and talented lawyer like you could save my poor Bruce." Mrs. Kent said earnestly.

Hobert thought to himself: Madam, earlier you didn't trust me at all, but now that you've seen my confidence, you've changed your mind, haven't you?

"Then please sign the retainer agreement," Hobert said, "I'll need to keep the plaintiff's lawsuit for further study."

After sending off Mrs. Kent and her party, Hobert realized that his previous diligent handling of each case was finally paying off. All the cases he received this week, except Darren's, had been referred by acquaintances.

This indicated that his past work had helped him build a network, allowing him to establish a foothold in the legal industry. If he continued to handle every case with the same level of care, this network would only expand.

For his first not guilty defense, Hobert was very serious. In addition to reviewing relevant materials, he visited Minsk Prison the next day, Friday morning, to discuss the bomb details with Bruce.

After thorough preparation, Hobert arrived early on Saturday at the Backlund Court, one of the three official courts in Backlund, primarily handling criminal cases for ordinary citizens.

The official courtroom was much more spacious than a magistrate's court, with the judge's seat elevated on a high platform, creating an imposing atmosphere.

There were also court officers maintaining order, adding an invisible sense of pressure.

The public gallery was quite large, with an estimated seating capacity of two to three hundred.

Among the audience were Mrs. Kent, Mr. Baron, and Bruce's friends, numbering twenty to thirty people in total.

Additionally, the plaintiff Wyatt's family and their relatives were present. The two sides sat in different sections, occasionally glaring at each other.

Fors also arrived on time. This time, she had brought a notebook, ready to jot down details of Hobert's defense.