197: Here we go again, another new case.

Back at the law firm, Shen Mingyuan quickly switched back to "Lawyer Shen" mode.

The day passed uneventfully, just like any other:

He clarified ambiguous clauses in contracts for two walk-in clients, revised a statement of evidence list for his assistant Xiao Zhao, and, at the invitation of a colleague from the neighboring team, offered a few key suggestions on potential legal risks for a financing project.

During the lunch break, Director Wang came over with a teacup to chat about recent industry trends. Shen Mingyuan chimed in appropriately, and the office atmosphere remained harmonious.

He even joined his colleagues in critiquing a popular legal drama, joking about the "divine maneuvers" in the show that violated procedural justice, eliciting knowing laughter.

After work, instead of heading straight home, he searched on his phone and drove to a well-reviewed Exotic Pet Store.

The air in the store carried a distinctive scent, a mix of wood shavings, moss, and the smell of reptiles. Under the lights, glass enclosures housed various quiet or slow-moving creatures.

Shen Mingyuan had a clear goal. With the clerk's help, he quickly gathered the essentials: a professional Terrarium large enough for the next few years, an adjustable Heating Pad with a precise Thermostat, a UVB Lamp, Substrate, a Water Dish, and a small Hideout. Finally, he approached the freezer.

"For hatchling snakes, especially when they first arrive, you can try Pinky Mice. They're the right size and nutritious enough," said the clerk, a somewhat shy-looking young man who became more fluent when discussing his area of expertise.

"But you'll need to be patient. Newly hatched snakes come with their own 'energy reserves'—

the remnants of the yolk sac, nutrients left over from their development inside the egg. This can sustain them for one to two weeks or even longer, so they don't need to eat extra during this time. The main tasks for a hatchling are adapting to the external environment and completing its first shed, not hunting."

"Refusing food for a week or two is perfectly normal. Don't force-feed them."

As he helped Shen Mingyuan pack the selected Pinky Mice into an insulated bag, he continued with advice:

"Feeding frequency doesn't need to be high either. Generally, once every five to seven days is fine. Their metabolism is slow, and feeding too often can lead to indigestion or even regurgitation, which is worse for their health. Once it adapts and establishes a stable feeding routine, it'll be fine."

Shen Mingyuan listened attentively and nodded. These detailed, specific precautions were far more useful than the general information he'd found online. "Understood, thank you."

Carrying bags of supplies back to his apartment, he first checked on the Little Green Snake in the Incubator. It was still curled up on the soft cloth, indifferent to the untouched pinky mouse and Water Dish nearby, only lazily lifting an eyelid at the sound of movement.

Shen Mingyuan didn't disturb it and began setting up the brand-new Terrarium.

He installed the equipment, laid out the Substrate, adjusted the temperature range of the Heating Pad, and placed the Water Dish and Hideout.

After finishing all this, he carefully transferred the Little Green Snake, which still showed no interest in food, from its temporary home to this more spacious, well-equipped new one.

The Little Green Snake slowly slithered around the new environment before choosing the rock-like Hideout, burrowing in most of the way and leaving only a pale green tail tip visible, seemingly quite satisfied with the sense of security here.

Watching it settle in, Shen Mingyuan finally felt he'd accomplished something significant. He put the Pinky Mice back in the refrigerator's cold storage and clapped his hands.

"Your home is set up, and food is ready," he said toward the Terrarium. "As for when to eat... whenever you feel like it."

Just as Shen Mingyuan finished settling the Little Green Snake and was about to wash up, his phone on the coffee table lit up with a wechat message from Director Wang.

Director Wang: Mingyuan, not resting yet? Just took on a new case, and the client specifically requested you.

Shen Mingyuan raised an eyebrow and picked up his phone to reply.

Shen Mingyuan: What kind of case?

Director Wang: It involves a factory, a pollution dispute, collectively commissioned by the victims. The specifics are a bit complicated—hard to explain over the phone. Come to my office tomorrow morning, and I'll give you the Materials.

Shen Mingyuan: Got it. See you tomorrow.

The next day, at the law firm.

Shen Mingyuan sat upright across from Director Wang's desk, taking the stack of preliminary Materials handed to him.

"It's about residents near the Yuejin River, by the Industrial Zone North of the City," Director Wang said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his temples, his tone carrying the usual gravity of handling such disputes. "The leaders are a few long-time residents, and their intent is clear: they want to sue the Xinwang Chemical Plant. They suspect their well water has an odd smell and crops by the river are growing worse, blaming it on the plant's long-term illegal discharge of untreated wastewater."

Shen Mingyuan quickly flipped through the Materials, which included photos of the river taken by residents (showing suspicious water color), handwritten complaint records, and a simple water quality test report (with some abnormal indicators, but the sampling and testing process was irregular, limiting its evidentiary value).

"Have they reported this before?" Shen Mingyuan asked without looking up.

"More than once. They've complained to the Environmental Department and the Neighborhood Committee," Director Wang said, taking a sip of tea. "But every time inspectors come, they either say 'no abnormal discharge found' or cite minor issues like 'pipe leaks,' resulting in small fines. The factory is very cautious, with hidden discharge points, and according to residents, they often discharge at night or during rain, making it hard to catch them red-handed. The residents lack conclusive evidence."

"So now they're directly pursuing a civil lawsuit for tort damages?" Shen Mingyuan closed the file and looked at Director Wang.

"Yes. The difficulty in gathering evidence is the first major hurdle. The chemical plant will definitely hire professional lawyers to argue insufficient evidence."

Director Wang leaned forward. "But the residents are very emotional and willing to pool money for a lawyer. They came to us, partly because of our firm's reputation, and partly..."

He paused. "Probably because they heard you've handled a few tough cases before and want to try their luck. This case isn't easy, might even be thankless, but I think its nature and direction fit our firm's positioning and... perhaps your 'interests.'"

"I understand," Shen Mingyuan said, organizing the Materials and standing up. "I'll study these Materials in depth first and arrange a meeting with the residents' representatives as soon as possible to understand the situation on the ground. We'll find a way to address the evidence issue."

Director Wang nodded, his eyes showing trust and a hint of concern. "Good, I'll leave it to you. Be careful with your approach, safety first."

"Don't worry," Shen Mingyuan said, picking up the Materials and heading to his office.

Back in his office, Shen Mingyuan closed the door, spread out the case file on the Xinwang Chemical Plant on his desk, and began reviewing it page by page in greater detail.

The situation was exactly as Director Wang summarized, if not more challenging. The Materials submitted by the residents were filled with emotional accusations and detailed descriptions of their plight—

handwritten health records (multiple people with varying degrees of skin allergies and respiratory issues), simple test data from their wells and soil (showing exceedances in multiple heavy metals and chemical oxygen demand), and numerous photos and video timelines of abnormal river color and pungent odors.

These Materials clearly painted a picture of victimization, with a clear direction.

However, the chain of accusations broke at the final, most critical link:

Not a single piece of evidence could legally and indisputably, directly link the health damage and environmental degradation suffered by the residents to the "discharge activities of the Xinwang Chemical Plant."

The factory could easily argue that other small workshops in the area, vehicle emissions, or even historical pollution might be the source.

Those irregular self-conducted test reports had very limited probative value in court.

And the Environmental Department's past inspection records, stating "no abnormalities found" or imposing only minor penalties, might even be used by the other side to prove their "compliance."

Shen Mingyuan leaned back in his chair, fingers unconsciously tapping the desk. His gaze fell on the recurring words in the Materials: "night," "rainy days," "hidden discharge points."

"The core issue is the evidence gap," he realized. The residents' Materials only constituted "reasonable suspicion," but to win the lawsuit, especially against a factory that would fight back hard, "conclusive evidence" was needed.

His thoughts quickly turned to the most direct Breakthrough:

If they could find direct evidence of the factory's illegal discharge—preferably video footage with clear timestamps and location markers, along with synchronized water samples from the discharge point, tested by a qualified third-party agency—then the entire case would take on a different nature.

But this meant the investigation would have to delve into areas controlled by the factory, possibly even requiring some... unconventional reconnaissance. This was no longer just desk-bound legal work.

He picked up his phone and sent a message to the assistant handling the case: "Please arrange a meeting with the Yuejin River residents' representatives as soon as possible, preferably near their community. I need to see the situation on the ground."