When Li Jin walked into the court, the soles of his shoes were stained with mud, and there was an unsewed thread on his left cuff that was swaying slightly in the wind. He didn't bring his briefcase, only an old canvas bag containing his lawyer's license and a stack of printer paper. The floor of the court hall had just been mopped, and the water stains had not yet dried. When he stepped on it, his footprints were shallow, as if they had been wiped by someone's fingers. No one looked at him. Some people recognized him, but no one spoke. The son of a father who cried until he was speechless on the witness stand three years ago is now dressed like a lawyer who just picked it up from a garage sale. He walked through the security machine, but the metal detector didn't go off. The security guard looked up at him, then lowered his head and continued looking at his phone. Jiang Xiao came out of the side door, wearing a black suit and untied tie, with a pen in his left pocket. He didn't walk fast, but his steps were steady, as if he were walking to a fixed beat. When he passed the mirrored wall, he paused for half a second. Li Jin's back was reflected in the mirror, wearing a gray suit, narrow shoulders, and an old scar on the back of his neck, a little exposed from the collar. Jiang Xiao didn't move or turn around.
