Chapter 36: The Price of Justice, Ran and Conan Fall Silent!
Li Ze smiled and spoke.
It was clear.
He wasn't interested in discussing such a topic with Conan, something he considered utterly pointless.
And, to this.
Conan felt extremely annoyed, immediately ready to retort.
However.
Li Ze's change of subject left him deeply dissatisfied.
Damn it.
Was he avoiding the issue just because he couldn't win the argument?
If he were still Shinichi Kudo, he wouldn't have let this go so easily.
But, unfortunately.
He was just a kid now!
Li Ze simply wasn't playing along, leaving him feeling utterly helpless.
However, thankfully.
The innocent Ran furrowed her brow and spoke up.
“Mr. Li Ze, I apologize.”
“Honestly, I don't understand either, and I'm quite concerned about it.”
“Therefore.”
“Could you tell me your thoughts on this?”
Li Ze was taken aback.
But when he saw the serious expression on Ran's face, he paused for a moment before realizing.
Right!
Ran was too innocent, and she had been shielded from the world for too long.
Her sense of justice was too strong, but she usually appeared so gentle that others subconsciously overlooked it.
But, in reality.
Her values were very sound.
Those whose views differed from hers, she might not argue with, but she wouldn't befriend them either.
Thinking of this, he pondered for a moment.
“Hmm, very well.”
“Since Ran is so curious about this, let's discuss it briefly.”
“First, let me ask you this, have you ever considered…”
“Just how costly it is for ordinary people to defend their rights?”
Uh.
Following his question, Conan and Ran were instantly dumbfounded.
It was obvious.
As high school students, without access to the internet, they hadn't considered such things.
“Is that relevant?” Ran asked in confusion.
Conan didn't understand either, so he chose to remain silent.
Seeing this, Li Ze slowly began to speak.
“Well, let's not mention Conan, he's just a kid, it's normal for him not to understand these things.”
“But, Ran!”
“You've been shielded from the world for too long!”
Conan: “… ”
Ran: “… ”
Hearing these words, both of them felt irritated.
There was no way around it.
Although Li Ze didn't elaborate, they could sense his deep disdain.
This made them extremely resentful, Conan immediately gave a sarcastic smile: “Brother Li Ze, why don't you tell us about it?”
Ran didn't speak.
But her eyes were still fixed on Li Ze.
Her gaze was full of curiosity.
Seeing this.
Li Ze, too lazy to play games, sighed and spoke.
“Fine, I'll just say it straight.”
“Take today's case, for example, if we were to follow the normal process, we could indeed file a lawsuit against the court.”
“After all, Mr. Sanada was the one who broke the contract first, wasn't he?”
“But, here comes the problem.”
“Lawsuits are extremely time-consuming. Once the process begins, you need to collect evidence, find a lawyer to prepare for the trial.”
“And all of this takes time.”
“But for ordinary people, they have to put their work aside and waste all their energy on this.”
“Wasting a month means losing a month's salary.”
“On top of that, they still have to eat, drink, and sleep, which further depletes their already meager savings.”
“Then, the trial!”
“If everything goes smoothly, and the evidence is solid, the court will declare you victorious right then and there.”
“But, is that the end?”
“No, far from it!”
“Mr. Sanada can still appeal, and then the whole process will be repeated.”
“Even if you win in the final appeal, you still have the issue of execution.”
“What if Mr. Sanada refuses to comply?”
“That will drag on for a long time, and only then might you get the compensation you deserve.”
“So, what?”
“Is it a happy ending?”
“You've wasted so much time, your already meager savings have been completely depleted.”
“More importantly, after being delayed for so long, will your employer allow you to take such a long leave?”
“Absolutely not!”
“So, most likely, you'll have to find a new job after winning your case.”
“And the compensation you get, you'll have to give a large chunk of it to the lawyer.”
“In the end, you'll have nothing left!”
“Do you think it's worth paying such a price?”
“As a boss, Mr. Sanada has all the time and energy in the world to wear you down, because it doesn't affect his earnings.”
“After all, he's the boss.”
“Even if he just lies in bed all day, he'll still have a steady stream of income.”
“Can ordinary workers do that?”
“This is still under the best-case scenario.”
“But, what about real life?”
“Ordinary people have mortgages, car loans, and parents and children to support, do you think a few ordinary people can withstand it?”
“Do you understand now?”
“The cost and benefit are simply not proportional.”
“That's why most people, when they face injustice, simply endure it silently for small matters.”
“But, at the same time.”
“People's tolerance is limited. If it exceeds a certain threshold, then it will explode with a bang.”
“Seeking justice through the law? Ha!”
“For the vast majority of people, they wouldn't even consider it.”
“Because, win or lose, you'll be bankrupt!”
“As for why I said Mr. Sanada, even if he doesn't die today, he'll die in the future, that's basically the logic.”
“His character and personality are bad, and this has become a habit.”
“He dared to do this at the art museum, do you think he wouldn't dare to do it in his other businesses?”
“That's why I said, he'll eventually be killed off!”
“And, Conan!”
“I remember you and Shinichi Kudo, both seem to like Sherlock Holmes quite a bit.”
“Then, what Holmes said to Lestrade in The Return of Sherlock Holmes.”
“He believes that when the law cannot bring justice to the victim…”
“Personal revenge, from this moment on, is justified, even noble.”
“Do you agree?”
Li Ze's tone was flat.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person. When he first crossed over into this life, he barely survived by doing black market work.
Therefore.
He knew very well about the situation of ordinary people.
But, on the other hand.
Conan and Ran fell silent.
It was clear.
They had never considered these issues. Now, after being schooled by Li Ze, they instantly started to feel depressed.
After a long time.
Ran sighed softly, her face full of bitterness: “Mr. Li Ze, you're right, the reality is too cruel, ordinary people simply can't bear it.”
“But, I…” Conan's voice was hoarse: “Sigh!”
A soft sigh!
Yes.
He was just a detective, he couldn't answer this question.
Seeing this, Li Ze calmly said.
“Alright, there's no need to be downcast.”
“Actually, I really have a good impression of you both.”
“Born into wealth and still upholding justice, this is already pretty good.”
“Shinichi Kudo, is the same.”
“His father is a world-renowned novelist, his mother is also a world-renowned violinist, he's a pretty powerful rich kid.”
“But he didn't bully others, and he was willing to speak for the dead, to seek fairness and justice for society…”
“Really, that's good enough!”