Chapter 103 - 78: Charging Towards the Red Line

With all these resources, wouldn’t it be more cost-effective to invest them in other cases? Wouldn’t that give you a better bang for your buck!?

"Perhaps in the future, there will be a way to solve this problem."

"But at least for now..."

Huang Shi took a long drag, sucking the cigarette down to the butt.

"This case will end with a verdict for a 16-year-old minor."

"The police won’t help you find evidence."

"They have no reason, and no budget for it."

"And the prosecutor’s office certainly won’t let a case involving two lives drag on for a decade."

His words fell, echoing in the courthouse hall.

Lin Yue and Wang Chao opened their mouths to speak, but ultimately remained silent.

Having gotten into top universities, they were obviously not fools, nor were they naive idealists or virtue signalers.

Take this, for example.

The authorities have a hundred million, and they announce it will all be used to build shelters for stray cats and dogs, while the approved budget for a homicide investigation is 10,000.

What would you think?

Would you think, ’Wow, the government is so great! What a model for the world! This must be the most democratic and free country on Earth, to value the lives of stray animals so highly!’?

No.

Any normal person would just think the one who proposed it was a fucking idiot.

And that the people who approved it were a bunch of fucking idiots.

Even if you wanted to embezzle money, using this as your excuse would make you a complete and utter fucking idiot.

Clearly, there weren’t enough fucking idiots in Dongguo yet to influence an entire city’s police force into making a move like that.

"If you really feel that bad about it..."

As he spoke...

Huang Shi lit another cigarette for himself, and while he was at it, lit the one in Xu De’s hand.

He once again passed over Wang Chao, who had been waiting for some time.

Huang Shi stood up, looking like he was about to leave.

Prosecutors, judges, and detectives are all brothers in adversity in the Spiritual Realm.

Having a fragile heart... no, forget fragile.

Even if your mental fortitude is stronger than the average person’s, you’ll still find it incredibly painful and agonizing when you first enter the profession.

Huang Shi considered himself to have a high tolerance for stress.

After all, even after Xu De had screwed him over in court, he was still able to put it behind them and discuss the case.

But even so, this case had him tossing and turning, unable to sleep night after night, just sitting on the edge of his bed, chain-smoking.

Reality... is sometimes bone-chillingly cold.

You have to face it.

And you have to accept it.

"You can try and fight for more in civil damages."

"The defendant’s family is quite wealthy."

With that, he was done.

Huang Shi turned to leave with his men.

But he hadn’t taken two steps before a voice from behind stopped him in his tracks.

"I need a certain level of clearance."

Huang Shi froze. He turned back, frowning at Xu De, who had risen to his feet.

Xu De looked at him, his face devoid of expression. "I need clearance."

Huang Shi spoke. "You want to challenge her age?"

"The prosecution and the police have already looked into it. There’s just no..."

He couldn’t finish before the other man cut him off.

"How will we know if we don’t try?"

Xu De said, readily admitting that his goal was to investigate further.

"Prosecutor Huang, you should know what the first rule of a lawyer’s professional ethics is, shouldn’t you?"

’Is a lawyer’s professional ethic to be just?’

’No, justice is the judge’s job. Besides, before the verdict, no one knows the truth of a case, or who is right and who is wrong.’

’Therefore, a lawyer’s first principle is...’

"The client’s interests come first, above all else!"

Xu De declared, without a moment’s hesitation.

A lawyer’s code is to center on their client, fighting for their interests within the bounds of the law.

Of course, countless unscrupulous lawyers also use this as a get-out-of-jail-free card, a shield for their own illegal and unethical actions.

Luckily, Xu De wasn’t unscrupulous—his very name meant virtue!

"My client in this case needs justice. He explicitly told me he doesn’t want money."

"Therefore, I must make his request my goal."

"I can’t just compromise because it’s difficult and unilaterally decide to pursue a civil suit for damages instead!"

"So..."

"I need a certain level of clearance."

"At the very least, I need the prosecution to provide suitable cooperation while my side conducts its own investigation."

He finished speaking.

Huang Shi frowned, staring intently at him.

Xu De betrayed no emotion, as if he had just been making casual conversation.

His goal was clear: to get Huang Shi to acknowledge that his investigation into Liu Jingqi was legal and relevant to the case. If he happened to "cross a line," it would be Huang Shi’s responsibility to handle the fallout.

There was no other way.

In a public prosecution, even though they were on the same side...

...in the criminal justice sphere, the prosecutor’s office had far more authority and legal standing than he did!

It was just like in court, when he’d had to force Huang Shi to admit the evidence from the surprise inspection was valid. If he had said the exact same words himself, the effect would have been significantly weaker.

By the same token, there were certain things that were very difficult for him to investigate on his own.

But if Huang Shi gave his verbal agreement and was willing to cooperate to some extent... that would be a different matter entirely.

"Are you serious?"

Huang Shi frowned, asking for confirmation.

"We’ll cover our own expenses. If we succeed, the credit goes to the prosecution. If we fail, you won’t be involved."

Xu De didn’t bother with pleasantries and laid it all on the table.

"All I want is to fulfill my client’s request!"

’The request...’

’A lawyer doesn’t need credit; credit is useless to him. He just needs to fulfill his client’s request!’

’When that happens, countless people will naturally be lining up, waving cash to pay for his services.’

’And for Huang Shi...’

’No, any prosecutor in his position would understand. If Xu De could actually pull this off, it would be a massive credit to the prosecutor’s record!’

’Why?’

’Because a prosecutor’s track record is built on trials!’

’Lose a case, and you get a black mark. Win, and you’ve met your quota.’

’But a case where you expose a defendant in a double homicide who was ’posing as a minor to evade judgment’... and bring that case to a successful conclusion...’

’That’s as solid a victory as you can get!’

’Not to mention, he wouldn’t even have to get the expenses approved.’

’Anyone would be tempted by that. Besides, the prosecution also pitied Yang Huan; the two feelings weren’t mutually exclusive.’

Huang Shi stared at Xu De for a long time, trying to discern his true motives.

Finally, he let out a long breath.

"Alright. I’ll give you a chance."

"You write up the report, and I’ll sign off on it."

Huang Shi spoke with a decisive tone, not mincing his words.

Having received verbal authorization, Xu De nodded.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he turned and walked away...

...heading for the detention center!

Huang Shi stared at his departing figure, his mind filled with Hu Guang’s previous assessment of the man.

"’He’ll fight the Juvenile Protection Law to the bitter end...’"

He murmured the words, his breath catching in his throat.

’Any other lawyer would probably take one look at those words and run for the hills.’

’But this guy just lowers his head and prepares to fight it to the death...’

’Is it the fearlessness of ignorance, the arrogance of youth? Or is he actually capable and confident?’

Just as Huang Shi was lost in these thoughts.

In a daze.

He saw Wang Chao, who had been walking away, suddenly stop as if he’d remembered something. He then hurried back into the hall and stood in front of Huang Shi.

Huang Shi stared, taken aback. He looked at the young man and subconsciously asked:

"Is... there something else?"

Wang Chao said, "You don’t respect me!"

He was rather unhappy and decided to speak his mind.

Huang Shi: ?

Huang Shi was even more baffled. "How did I disrespect you?"

Wang Chao’s expression grew more aggrieved. "You didn’t offer me a cigarette."

’Who offers a cigarette to just one person?’

Huang Shi fell silent. He then took out his pack, pulled out a cigarette, and stuck it between the other man’s lips.

"Am I respecting you now?" he asked tentatively.

Wang Chao didn’t speak. With the cigarette between his lips, he gave a thumbs-up with his right hand, then repeatedly gestured downward with his thumb.

Huang Shi understood, took out his lighter, and lit the cigarette.

CLICK!

WHOOSH...

Wang Chao took a drag, feeling instantly refreshed.

"So, am I respecting you now?" Huang Shi asked.

Wang Chao didn’t answer. He just stretched out a hand and pointed into the distance at Lin Yue, who was trailing behind Xu De.

"You’re not respecting her!"

"You offer them to girls, too!?"

Huang Shi looked over at the young woman, his face a mask of astonishment.

Dissatisfied, Wang Chao held out his hand and waggled it impatiently.

Huang Shi looked like he wanted to say something but held his tongue. He placed a cigarette in Wang Chao’s hand and, after a moment’s thought, handed over the lighter as well.

This time, Wang Chao was satisfied.

However...

The next second, Wang Chao shoved the cigarette and lighter back into his hands.

"Lawyer Lin doesn’t smoke."

Huang Shi: ?

"If she doesn’t smoke, why did you need one for her?" the other prosecutor, Zhang Qing, couldn’t help but ask.

Wang Chao replied:

"Offering is a gesture. It has nothing to do with whether she smokes or not!"

"I didn’t have any on me this time. I’ll get you guys next time."

With that, Wang Chao finally departed, content. He trotted a few steps to catch up with Xu De.

The three men watched him go, their lips moving for a long moment.

Finally, they managed to spit out a single word.

"Particular."