Too Bad I Take Things Seriously-Chapter 484 - 204: The Big TV Series ’Borrowing Money

In the judgment just announced, although the court had recognized their illegal transfer of assets, it did not adjudicate on the ownership of the properties nor did it re-divide them. This meant that his money, apart from the 820,000 yuan confiscated by the court, still remained under Tian Shulan’s name. He was now still penniless. He couldn’t even afford the fine.

Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but turn his head and look towards his legal aid lawyer. With a troubled expression, he asked, "Uh... could you lend me some money?"

As soon as Meng Lei finished speaking, the newly certified legal aid lawyer’s eyes widened. "What did you say?" His face was filled with disbelief. The legal aid service he was involved in was free of charge—the kind that didn’t take a single cent. But now, the client was actually asking *him* for money?

"I have no choice. All my assets were transferred under Tian Shulan’s name. If you lend me some money, once I win the lawsuit and reclaim my property, I’ll definitely pay you back tenfold!" Meng Lei said with a bitter smile, his tone sincere.

"Tenfold?"

But the legal aid lawyer’s lips twitched. He said decisively, "You didn’t even pay back eighteen yuan. I wouldn’t dare lend you any money."

Although he had just been certified and his professional skills were slightly lacking, he was new, not foolish. He understood the background of this case quite well. It had all started over a civil dispute involving eighteen yuan, and somehow, it had suddenly escalated into a private criminal prosecution.

"You might not be able to pursue the property lawsuit right now, but for the fine... you can actually apply to the court for installment payments. Don’t worry, you can pay it off slowly." Afterward, the legal aid lawyer looked at Meng Lei’s dejected face and couldn’t help but remind him again.

Meng Lei paused for a moment. With a bitter expression, he said, "But I don’t have any money right now. I can’t even afford the installments."

"Well, the judgment has been passed. You’ll be transferred to a detention center next to await your prison assignment." The legal aid lawyer continued to explain, "If you’re lucky, you might end up in a high-production prison, undergo labor reform, and earn some compensation. You could save about four to five hundred yuan a month. Your fine is 21,000 yuan. After deducting your daily expenses, you could pay it off in about four to five years."

Upon mentioning this, he seemed to have opened up, entering an area of his expertise. He animatedly described the prison assignment process and what life was like after imprisonment to Meng Lei. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Initially, all convicted prisoners wait in detention centers for their prison assignments and transfers. But each prison’s production value varies. In some prisons, the average output per person is 100 yuan. For example, if the processing fee for a piece of clothing is nine yuan, and there are 100 people in the prison ward who can produce 1,200 pieces of clothing per day, the total production value is 10,800 yuan. The average output per person is then 108 yuan. However, some prisons have more orders and higher efficiency, so their per capita output value is higher, and thus, the wages are higher too. It’s similar to looking for a job with a company; if a company’s economic performance is better, the salary and benefits are also higher. The only difference is that convicted prisoners don’t have the autonomy to choose their ’company’; they must passively wait for assignments. It’s all down to luck.

"In the various prisons of Yangcheng, those with higher efficiency offer an average monthly wage of about five hundred yuan. Additionally, although prisoners can spend money in prison, there are corresponding restricted spending policies. This is to prevent the emergence of ’moonlight clans’—people who spend all their money—enjoying life too much in prison. That would defeat the intended effects of labor reform and punishment.

"Prison spending is determined monthly based on custody level: 100 yuan for strict supervision, 200 yuan for an observation period, 300 yuan for regular supervision, and 500 yuan for lenient supervision. Even if you have a lot of savings, you can’t spend it all.

"I can help you arrange for the installment payment of your fine. Once you’re in prison, remember to be frugal, save more each month, and pay off the fine as soon as possible." Finally, the legal aid lawyer earnestly advised him, showing a responsible attitude.

But after listening, Meng Lei’s gaze flickered. He became somewhat agitated. "So, you’re saying... people in prison actually have savings?"

Now that the judgment had been delivered, he was still fixated on the property under Tian Shulan’s name. Even though the court had confiscated 820,000 yuan and the real estate and cars would be sold off, there was still over a million yuan left. He had to find a way to get back the money that belonged to him!

And according to what the lawyer said, those old-timers in prison... the longer their sentences, the greater their spending restrictions, and the longer their work hours. Correspondingly, their savings would also be greater.

「Meanwhile, in Jin City, at the nursing home.」

As the live stream ended, Zhang Qingyuan and the others gradually shifted their attention and gathered together, beginning to discuss among themselves.

"This verdict isn’t bad. No one got away; both husband and wife were sent packing."

"But why do I feel like it’s not completely resolved? The assets they transferred due to the crime of refusing to execute a judgment are still under Tian Shulan’s name, right?"

"This is unfair to Meng Lei! He worked so hard for so many years, only to end up losing everything—his freedom and his money?"

"This young man’s fate is too tragic."

"..."

All in all, since both were sentenced to over ten years, everyone felt quite satisfied with this seemingly conclusive ending. By comparison, however, Meng Lei’s fate seemed far too miserable. Not only was he sentenced to fourteen years, but he was also left without a penny to his name.

Qin Mu looked at everyone’s serious doubts and explained, "This case adjudicated on the charges of fraud and refusal to execute a judgment. Property disputes, on the other hand, fall under the scope of civil litigation."