Chapter 151 - 100: Court Opens! Debate

Losing all credibility is a very serious matter.

Xu De wanted to salvage the situation, but unfortunately, Huang Shi, who stood before him, wasn’t giving him the chance.

"Let me make things clear beforehand."

Huang Shi looked at Xu De, his eyes full of vigilance. "If you try another surprise attack... Heh, you can expect this case to be dragged out until the middle of next year."

The court was currently in recess, and after the recess came the court’s annual holiday.

No sessions would be held during the annual holiday. It would be scheduled for after the New Year when they returned to work. The judge would have to refamiliarize himself with the case, and only then would a new hearing date be set. The trial probably wouldn’t conclude until March or April.

"You..."

Xu De opened his mouth, but in the end, he could only let out a helpless sigh.

’Society’s morals are in decline. People aren’t what they used to be.’

’I finally manage to muster up some good faith to deal with people, and this is the treatment I get in return.’

"Forget it. We’ll just wait for the hearing to start."

Xu De sighed, then gestured with his hand, beckoning the others to come in from outside.

There was still a figure outside the waiting room who hadn’t stepped inside.

Huang Shi noticed this out of the corner of his eye. He paused for a moment, then turned his head and glanced at the main door.

There, a figure of about 1.75 meters stood silently.

’This is...’

Yang Huan.

The victim’s only surviving family member!

Yang Huan’s head was bowed, his slightly-too-long hair obscuring his forehead and hiding his face. He stepped forward now, walking silently into the waiting room.

He didn’t speak. He just sat quietly on a chair, his back hunched, his expression unreadable.

He showed no emotion, yet he exuded a thick, gloomy aura.

"Why is the family member here?"

Huang Shi leaned back in his chair again and turned to look at Xu De.

"Didn’t you and his state-appointed guardian advise him not to come?"

"This is the third hearing. The trial should be concluding with a verdict soon."

Xu De sat in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. "He needs to see it with his own eyes. Otherwise, he’ll never find peace of mind."

"Don’t worry, he won’t be present for the entire hearing."

"Mm."

Huang Shi nodded, offering no rebuttal.

Just as Xu De had said, when the final verdict was announced... one had to come and see it.

The two of them resumed chatting, though their conversation mostly steered clear of the case.

After a long time...

"CREAK~"

The door to the waiting room opened. A bailiff stood in the doorway, looked inside, and said:

"The hearing is about to begin. Follow me to the courtroom to await the proceedings."

At his words, everyone in the room paused for a moment before standing up and heading outside.

Only Yang Huan remained in the waiting room. He was like a stone statue, head bowed, showing no expression, no emotion.

...

「Courtroom Two.」

Outside the courtroom, a massive crowd of reporters had gathered. The once-spacious corridor was now completely blocked.

It couldn’t be helped. This was the third hearing, and for a major case, a verdict was generally expected by now.

The No. 18 Middle School Case...

Previously, not many people had come because the case involved a minor and was therefore a closed trial.

But that didn’t mean information about the case would remain sealed after the trial concluded. And now, with the trial expected to end soon, it was only natural that more people would show up.

"Make way."

Three prosecutors cleared a path at the front, and the crowd parted to form a lane.

Before long, a bailiff pulled open the imposing main door of Courtroom Two. The prosecution team walked in, and the door swung shut behind them, as if they had been swallowed whole by a monstrous beast.

The crowd watched their backs, exchanging glances. A sharp glint flashed in their eyes, but no one said a word.

...

「Inside Courtroom Two.」

In the judicial area, Xu De placed his briefcase on the table with a THUD, then took his seat before finally looking up toward the defendant’s section.

He saw that the defendant’s section was already full. They were the same faces from last time, though there were a few new ones as well.

Among them, the attorneys Zhang Wei and Sun Bing were already seated.

Seeing this, Lin Yue couldn’t help but let a small smile grace her lips.

"Looks like the other side got here quite a bit earlier than we did."

Zhang Wei looked haggard, his eyes bloodshot.

In less than a week, he had become visibly gaunt. His cheeks were sunken, his skin pale, and he looked like a chain-smoker. Though he was looking down and organizing his files, his breathing was extremely heavy.

It was as if a giant boulder was crushing his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

’Looks like he hasn’t been in a very good mood these past few days.’

The two of them paid him no further mind.

They simply sat quietly at their table, organizing their own things. The whole of Courtroom Two was silent. No clamor, no conversation.

There was only...

...the heavy, suffocatingly tense tranquility that precedes a storm.

Until...

"CREAK!"

Abruptly, the main door of Courtroom Two was pulled open.

Everyone turned to look.

Three figures appeared before them, their forms filling out the judges’ robes, making them seem quite imposing.

It was the three judges. They had entered the courtroom without even the customary procedure of everyone rising to greet them.

"CLACK, CLACK, CLACK..."

The three had grim expressions, their faces utterly serious, radiating a profound sense of authority.

Step by step, they ascended the platform, finally seating themselves at the highest point of the judicial area, behind the bench, looking down upon everyone below.

"BANG!"

The sharp crack of a gavel drew everyone’s attention.

Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin held the gavel, having just struck it on the desk, and scanned the courtroom with a stoic expression.

Everyone felt a dark cloud settle over their hearts as the judge’s gaze swept over them.

"Representative, prosecution, defense..."

"Are all three parties ready!?"

From the representative’s table, Xu De was the first to nod and speak: "Your Honor, members of the judiciary, the representative’s counsel is ready."

From the defense table, Zhang Wei cleared his throat, his slightly hoarse voice ringing out.

"The defense is ready."

Huang Shi waited until Xu De had finished speaking before he nodded. "The prosecution is ready."