The bronze doors of the Galactic Clearinghouse Tribunal swung open with a deep, grinding thud.
Shen Qiaoqiao marched down the central aisle, her high heels clicking sharply against the polished marble floor. Under her arm was a glowing blue audit scroll. Beside her, Star-Weaver Mu Lan carried two heavy cases of encrypted abacus records, her crystal spectacles reflecting the cold tribunal lamps.
Behind them walked Lin Mo, his hands tucked loosely into his jacket pockets.
“Remember, Qiaoqiao,” Lin Mo said softly, his voice dry and level. “We are here for justice and restitution. Try not to laugh when their lawyer starts crying.”
“No promises, Boss Lin,” Shen Qiaoqiao said, flashing a bright, dimpled smile. “When bankers get caught stealing from the calendar, it is very hard to keep a straight face.”
At the defense table across the hall, Vice-President Jin Bao was already seated. He leaned back in a chair carved from black spirit-wood, sipping spiced plum wine from a silver goblet.
Beside Jin Bao sat his primary legal counsel, Barrister Du. Du wore a ceremonial robe embroidered with golden abacus beads. A sneer sat firmly on his thin lips as he glanced over at the plaintiffs’ bench.
“Look who showed up,” Barrister Du muttered, his goodness score of negative fifty-five floating in dark red numbers above his powdered wig. “A girl with a toy seal, a disgraced abacus clerk who could not keep her job, and an upstart charity chairman who thinks money buys procedural standing.”
