Chapter 27 - 22: The Day of the First Trial

"It’s nothing. I was just feeling a bit emotional."

Lin Guodong reined in his thoughts and didn’t elaborate.

"Emotional about what?" Su Xin asked.

"About the prosecutors of Lusen City."

Lin Guodong raised an eyebrow, his tone a bit wistful.

"The prosecutors and judges of Lusen City... are in for a real treat!"

’A treat?’

’What kind of treat could prosecutors and judges possibly get?’

Su Xin didn’t quite understand. Her face was full of confusion, but she didn’t press him for an answer.

And Lin Guodong had no intention of explaining. After all, she would naturally understand what he meant once the trial began.

At that, his appetite returned, and he left her with one last sentence before they ate.

"Anyway..."

"Just wait for the trial to start in two days!"

...

「That same day.」

November 8th, 8:00 PM.

The Lusen City People’s Procuratorate had long since closed for the day. The entire building was shrouded in darkness and silence.

But light still glowed from one window.

Inside an office.

"PHEW~"

Prosecutor Hu Guang let out a breath. He sat at his desk, reaching up to rub the sore spot between his eyebrows.

The warm yellow light of the desk lamp clearly illuminated the fatigue on his face.

A voice came from beside him.

"Let’s call it a day. Your health is more important, you know."

Hu Guang opened his eyes to see a cup of hot tea being pushed in front of him.

Looking up, he saw his colleague, Wang Wei, and his apprentice, Zhang Qing, standing behind him. Both of their faces were also etched with exhaustion, revealing a hint of weariness.

Hu Guang didn’t reply. He held the teacup and took a small sip.

"GULP~"

The hot tea flowed down his throat and into his chest, a warm current dispelling the chill in his body.

Hu Guang felt his whole body relax. He let out a long breath and looked up at the two men before him.

"The chain of evidence has been submitted. Did the court have anything to say?"

Wang Wei pulled out a chair and plopped down onto it.

He then spoke in a gentle tone:

"No. The procuratorate’s evidence corroborates the police’s findings, and it was submitted during the discovery period, so of course there were no issues."

Hu Guang nodded.

He was the lead prosecutor for the public prosecution in the Wang Qiang case. With the trial approaching, it was only natural for him to double-check everything.

Then, Hu Guang looked up again, turning to the silent Zhang Qing at his side, and asked with a frown,

"What about the victim’s family?"

"Don’t tell me they’re not going to show up for the trial."

Some people were unpredictable. They might skip a court hearing just to sleep in a little longer, especially in remote areas where legal awareness was very weak.

Zhang Qing spoke up.

"Chen Wei was notified a few days ago."

Chen Wei was a shyster, but being a shyster only meant he had a poor character and used low-handed tactics.

It didn’t negate his ability to get things done!

A small matter like getting Li Youcai and Liu Cui to appear in court on time was something Chen Wei could certainly handle. However...

"Chen Wei is in Li Family Village gathering testimonies."

Zhang Qing hesitated for a moment, but he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He frowned and said,

"Those testimonies of his..."

Before he could finish, Hu Guang cut him off.

"What? Are the testimonies illegal?"

Hu Guang took a cigarette from the pack on his desk, lit it, and took a short drag.

Feeling the nicotine fill his lungs, he exhaled slowly and looked at the young prosecutor before him, speaking flatly,

"Or are you saying Chen Wei fabricated false evidence?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qing looked as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat. After a long moment, he finally shook his head and said quietly,

"No."

’Was there a problem with Chen Wei taking statements in Li Family Village, near the scene of the crime?’

’Honestly, from a legal standpoint, there was no problem.’

’But one mustn’t forget that testimonies come from people’s mouths, and what people say isn’t determined by reality, but by what they *want* to say!’

’What would the villagers of Li Family Village say about an outsider killing Li Erniu?’

’Naturally, they’d call black white and paint white as black!’

’Especially since the ones providing the testimonies were the dozens of people who had been part of the commotion at the scene.’

’Legally, the testimonies of these people carried a lot of weight!’

’But this bunch couldn’t very well admit that Li Erniu deserved to die, or that they had also broken the law, could they? No. For their own survival, even subconsciously, they would side with Li Youcai.’

’Even though these testimonies deviated from reality,’

’they could still be presented in court and used as evidence!’

"What about the defendant’s lawyer?" Hu Guang suddenly asked.

"I remember... I think the defendant has a defense lawyer named Xu De. Has he made any moves?"

At his words, the two men in front of him froze for a moment.

After thinking for a moment, they shook their heads.

"None."

"There’s no news from the court. He didn’t submit any evidence during the discovery period," Wang Wei replied.

He didn’t submit any evidence.

Which meant...

"He plans to fight this case based on his arguments alone."

Hu Guang was taken aback, his brows knitting together.

"What’s this lawyer’s track record?"

’Fighting a case by relying purely on impromptu arguments... That’s just too arrogant!’

’Even some veteran lawyers wouldn’t dare do such a thing. The only ones who could win a case like that are Gold Medal Lawyers, at a minimum.’

’No... even a Gold Medal Lawyer wouldn’t dare try a stunt like that!’

"No track record."

Zhang Qing shook his head. "He’s a young lawyer who just finished his internship a few months ago."

A young lawyer fresh out of his internship, with no evidence, planning to rely on impromptu arguments...

On the other side was a meticulous chain of logic compiled by the police and the procuratorate, and Chen Wei had even gone to gather testimonies from Li Family Village!

This...

"Alright, we’re the prosecution, not the defense."

Hu Guang stubbed out his cigarette and took a deep breath. The fatigue in his eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp, determined gaze.

"We’ve gone through all the proper procedures. All that’s left is to... wait for the trial the day after tomorrow!"

But he wasn’t the only one worrying about the ’Li Family Village Case’...

not by a long shot.

...

「November 9th.」

「Lusen City Intermediate People’s Court.」

"The defense still hasn’t presented any evidence... This is bad. The prosecution submitted a ton of evidence before the trial."

"This..."

"Zhang, the nature of this case is too severe, and public opinion is overwhelming. The court is also holding a public trial. If the defendant’s situation looks too bleak during the hearing..."

In the office of the First Criminal Tribunal, Judge Liu Jianguo held a newspaper, his face grave as he looked at the overwhelming media coverage.

After a long while, he turned to look at the person beside him.

Sitting there was a middle-aged man in a judge’s robe. He had a square face, weathered skin, and ordinary features, yet he exuded an air of authority without being angry.

Liu Jianguo said grimly,

"The trial starts tomorrow. If nothing unexpected happens, this case... is going to draw a huge crowd."

According to legal regulations,

for public trials, both passersby and reporters could attend and watch from the gallery.

And if they were to see the defendant at a clear disadvantage... it would likely incite public outrage!

’A father who searched for ten years for his daughter ends up killing the man who bought her while trying to save her, only to be convicted of a serious felony...’

Just imagining the scene was enough to give Liu Jianguo goosebumps.

And yet...

"We’ll just conduct a normal trial."

Judge Zhang Bingxin said expressionlessly. He gripped the newspaper, his calm eyes showing no trace of emotion.

Hearing this, Liu Jianguo looked like he wanted to say something but held back.

Zhang Bingxin was the judge in charge of the Wang Qiang case—the presiding judge, in other words. And the attitude of the presiding judge plays a decisive role in the direction of the entire case!

Liu Jianguo knew what kind of person he was.

Neutral, just, and open!

Zhang Bingxin almost never used his so-called discretionary sentencing power; he only looked at the evidence and the truth.

Therefore, this indirectly meant that the outcome would depend on the personal abilities of the lawyers and representatives on both sides. And in this case, Wang Qiang’s defense lawyer... hadn’t even submitted a single piece of substantive evidence.

"Get ready."

After finishing the newspaper, Zhang Bingxin put it down with a blank expression and stood up.

"Prepare for tomorrow’s trial!"

Watching his departing figure, Liu Jianguo was silent for a moment before finally letting out a deep sigh.

"Sigh."

’I’m just a judge at the court—not the police, not the prosecution, and not even the presiding judge. All I can do now... is prepare for the trial!’

With that thought, Liu Jianguo’s moodiness vanished. His expression turned solemn as he threw himself back into his work.

That day, the entire afternoon seemed to slow down, feeling incredibly long.

「Yangteng Law Firm.」

Chen Wei, the victim’s litigation representative, looked at the series of information files he had compiled, a sinister smile glinting in his eyes.

「The City People’s Procuratorate.」

Prosecutors Hu Guang and Wang Wei repeatedly checked and rechecked the materials they were going to use, their expressions exceptionally serious.

「Jinmao Law Firm.」

Xu De finished writing the last document and smiled at the words on the page.

’Whether I live or die tomorrow depends on whether I can take on a hundred opponents and out-argue a crowd of masters in court!’

Even...

Even throughout society...

The discussions about the Li Family Village case in Lusen City grew increasingly heated!

The aunties at the wet market, the workers in construction site canteens, the white-collar professionals, the factory laborers—they all argued about the case with spittle flying, their heated emotions chasing away some of November’s chill.

Even the reporters were readying their pens and paper.

Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for the first-instance trial to begin tomorrow!!!

And amid this anxiety and the maneuvering of all parties, time slipped by quietly. In the blink of an eye...

...

...

「November 10th.」

The Li Family Village Case, first-instance trial, begins!