Chapter 537 - 536: Sentencing (Part 2)

The verdict was announced, bringing great satisfaction to an enraged public.

Human trafficking has always been one of the most detested crimes. This nationwide crackdown not only dismantled the country’s largest human trafficking syndicate but also uprooted the long-hidden blight of Taoyuan Village. It was a momentous event for all of Huaguo.

Everyone was following the case. Television, newspapers, and radio stations provided continuous coverage, and the public’s interest showed no signs of fading.

When Beard and the other convicts were led out after sentencing, they were met not only by a swarm of reporters but also by the victims’ families, who were even more agitated.

More than half of the victims’ families from across the country had gathered in the Imperial City. Whether they had found their children or not, they all stayed.

They were waiting for the verdict, waiting to see the fate of the villains who had ruined their lives.

While the court was in session, a crowd gathered silently outside. Their numbers grew, but they made no noise, simply waiting in silence.

After several hours, the trial concluded. It was only when Beard and the others were escorted out that the silent crowd finally stirred.

They rushed toward Beard and his men, their hatred overwhelming. The bone-deep loathing in their eyes sent a chill down the spine of even Beard, who, having already been sentenced to death, thought he had nothing left to fear.

He was certain that if not for the guards holding them back, those people would have torn him apart with their bare hands.

Rotten eggs, spoiled vegetables, and stones rained down on them. The guards escorting them only focused on preventing an escape, making no move to stop the barrage.

They were used to this. For criminals whose sins were as monstrous as Beard’s, it was better to let the victims vent their fury.

The scene was chaotic and sorrowful. After the angry shouts came heart-wrenching sobs.

For the victims who never found their loved ones, the pain was obvious. But even for those who were reunited, the scars had already been carved too deep to ever truly heal.

Su Li, who had already returned to school and resumed her peaceful campus life, had come to the courthouse with her classmates for a reporting assignment.

For an event of this magnitude, it was only natural that their school newspaper would cover it.

Su Li and Chang E stood to one side, watching everything unfold. Su Li couldn’t tell if she felt relieved or heavy-hearted.

Chang E didn’t know that Little Tang Mo had been kidnapped, or that he was the catalyst for this entire affair. She certainly had no idea what Su Li had gone through over the winter break. All she knew was that Su Li had registered for the new semester late, and seeing this scene, she felt a surge of indignation.

"It’s so tragic... These traffickers should be drawn and quartered."

Su Li remained silent.

After returning from Taoyuan Village and registering late for the new semester, Su Li quickly settled back in. Seeing the vibrant, peaceful, and optimistic atmosphere on campus felt surreal, as if everything that happened in Taoyuan Village had just been a nightmare.

Seeing Beard and the others again, Su Li was filled with a complex mix of emotions.

Beard’s face was covered in filth, and he was so agitated he wanted to kill someone. But with his hands and feet bound, he could hardly even wipe his own face, let alone do anything else.

As he tried to dodge the projectiles, his eyes accidentally fell on Su Li. In that instant, the hatred and resentment in Beard’s heart peaked.

He already knew that Miao Zhi had been rescued. Mr. Zhang had "kindly" informed him of it.

From that moment on, Beard had been gnashing his teeth in hatred. He had planned on never telling Su Li and the others, letting them live with guilt and torment for the rest of their lives. But then... they actually found her! And rescued her!

Oh, how Beard seethed with hatred. The victims’ families hated him, and he hated Su Li and Little Tang Mo. But no amount of hate mattered anymore.

His death sentence would be carried out soon.

Next to Beard was the village chief, who looked just as desperate and resentful.

His family’s ancestral foundation had been destroyed on his watch. And not just destroyed... utterly obliterated.

He couldn’t even protect Taoyuan Village’s legacy.

The village chief himself received the death penalty. His son, who had been involved in this business since he was six, was sentenced to life in prison.

Their family line ended with him!

The village chief refused to accept it, but his defiance was useless. He had lived for most of his life, but only today did he finally taste true despair.

The people of Taoyuan Village were just like their chief, defiant and unwilling to accept their fate, especially the women who had originally been victims of trafficking but had become accomplices.

But their defiance was useless. The sentences had been passed.

The residents of Taoyuan Village were scattered, sent to prisons all across the country to separate them completely.

Even ignoring those with life sentences, the ones sentenced to ten or twenty years would be powerless to cause any more trouble by the time they got out.

What happened to the people of Taoyuan Village was mirrored by the members of Beard’s criminal syndicate, from top to bottom.

Because this was a major case that had captured the nation’s attention, and because the court wanted to make an example of them, the sentences were all severe. The lightest was two years in prison.

No leniency was shown, regardless of whether someone was a new trafficker or if it was their first time participating.

Qin Shanshan was among those who received no leniency.

Qin Shanshan was in the last group to be sentenced. She received the minimum sentence of two years, but for her, it was completely unacceptable.

While Su Li was going to Taoyuan Village to rescue Miao Zhi and then returning to school, Qin Shanshan had been locked up, awaiting her sentence. No one listened to a word she said, and she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Thanks to Su Li, Qin Shanshan had some knowledge of the law. As a high school student, she knew far more than the legally illiterate, which was why she didn’t believe she had committed a crime.

’I didn’t even participate, so how can it be a crime?’ But no one listened to her.

Qin Shanshan tried everything she could think of to protest her innocence and drag Su Li down with her, but it was all useless.

She had originally hoped that Su Dan, who was still free, would help her. But ever since her arrest, Su Dan had vanished without a trace.

After waiting for a few days for Su Dan to show up, Qin Shanshan finally gave up hope.

She had always known what kind of people Su Dan and Miao Fenghua were. Though she couldn’t see him, Qin Shanshan could easily imagine Su Dan, scared to death, avoiding her like the plague.

She knew about the time Su Li had gotten them taken to the police station. Back then, she had mocked Su Dan and the others for being useless. Only now that she was locked up herself did she realize how terrifying it was.

Qin Shanshan was such a proud person. She couldn’t even begin to imagine herself actually serving time in prison.

She was so proud. Her life should have followed a normal path: get a good job, find a good husband, and live happily ever after. But instead, her life had veered off in the completely opposite direction.

And when she thought about it, it had all started when she first decided to go after Su Li. One wrong step led to another, and she sank deeper and deeper until she ended up here.

After an agonizing wait, Qin Shanshan finally faced her trial. When she heard the verdict, the tightly wound string in her mind finally snapped.

"I object! I’m not guilty! I object! I was framed! It was obviously Su Li who sold Tang Mo! She knew she wasn’t good enough for Wu Sheng and wanted to marry him, so she decided Tang Mo was a burden! What does it have to do with me..."

Qin Shanshan caused a huge scene in the courtroom. Although she was quickly removed, everyone in the gallery had heard her clearly.

The gallery was packed. Those who didn’t know Qin Shanshan paid her no mind, but those who did took notice.

Tang Yuanxiao sat in the gallery, watching Qin Shanshan, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.