"The information currently available is very unfavorable to the defense."
"The abduction and the murder are being tried separately. Looking solely at the murder, Wang Qiang struck first. Defending him will be extremely tricky."
"If the presiding judge's subjective inclination doesn't favor the defendant, then..."
The two of them sat next to each other, and Lin Yue voiced her deepest concern.
"The sentencing outcome... might be very disadvantageous for the defendant."
Silence fell over them.
To be honest, Lin Yue had initially wanted to take this case, but after hearing the details, she decisively gave up...
She knew she didn't have the ability to influence the outcome of such a case. Taking it on rashly would only make things worse for the victim!
There was no other way.
The case was too volatile; the upper and lower limits of the potential verdict were simply worlds apart!
First, judging from Wang Qiang's actions, the court could absolutely rule it as intentional homicide according to the law; even a suspended death sentence would be reasonable.
But if they ruled with leniency...
The judge could also pronounce him not guilty based on legitimate self-defense.
One meant the death penalty, the other an acquittal. The difference of a single thought depended entirely on the defense lawyer's performance. One single mistake...
"Wang Qiang has an extremely high probability of receiving a suspended death sentence."
Lin Yue took a deep breath, her delicate face serious.
Looking at Xu De, she asked,
"So... what are your thoughts?"
Xu De crossed his legs with great interest and looked at her, asking in return,
"If it were you, Lawyer Lin, what would you do?"
Lin Yue paused. After a moment of silence, she sighed and shook her head helplessly.
"Sacrifice the child's custody rights in exchange for the other party signing a letter of forgiveness in Wang Qiang's case."
"At the same time, have them change their statement, so the court can follow the flow and pronounce his actions as legitimate self-defense."
As things stood, it was an either-or scenario.
Either trade custody for the withdrawal of their statement and the issuance of a letter of forgiveness.
Or seize custody, leaving Wang Qiang's fate hanging in the balance.
"Although the child won't be by Wang Mei's side, at the very least, their life won't be in danger. We can always fight for custody again later."
"But Wang Qiang... if he dies, he's truly dead."
Xu De nodded thoughtfully, then smiled.
"A very common line of thought. However, compared to that method of winning the case, I prefer..."
"To have it all!"
Lin Yue stared blankly, as if she hadn't heard him clearly.
"What did you say?" she asked hesitantly.
Xu De's expression grew serious as he replied flatly, "Custody and winning the criminal case... I want it all!"
He hadn't forgotten that his case rewards were calculated based on client satisfaction.
With an either-or outcome, would Wang Mei be satisfied? Anyone could tell it would just be a move made out of helplessness!
Unless...
He got both!
But...
Lin Yue was slightly taken aback and shook her head. "That's impossible."
"Nothing is impossible."
Xu De smiled.
Just as he was preparing to explain further...
Suddenly,
A loud, resonant voice echoed from behind, ringing throughout the police station lobby.
"Excuse me, is Lawyer Xu De here?"
Hearing the commotion, Xu De paused slightly. He and Lin Yue turned their heads to look.
They saw a neatly dressed man standing at the main entrance of the lobby, holding a briefcase and wearing glasses.
The man spoke with a police officer.
The officer then pointed toward Xu De. The man followed the gesture, his gaze meeting Xu De's.
'He hasn't come with good intentions.'
Xu De thought to himself.
The man smiled and walked over to Xu De, extending his hand as he spoke.
"I am Chen Wei, a lawyer from Yangteng Law Firm."
"We have signed a contract with the couple Li Youcai and Liu Cui, and I am here to serve as the legal representative for the victims in the Wang Qiang case."
"You must be the defense lawyer, Lawyer Xu De, right?"
A smile appeared on Chen Wei's face. The look in his eyes clearly carried a kind of contempt, as if victory was already in his grasp.
Not giving Xu De a chance to speak, he continued,
"I came to find you this time..."
"Mainly to find out your attitude toward the case."
Li Youcai's lawyer?
They tormented Wang Mei for ten years, and they actually had the nerve to find a lawyer to fight for their interests!?
Lin Yue's eyes widened, her lips pressed tightly together. Anger surged in her heart, but she didn't speak.
Xu De also remained silent, nor did he shake the man's hand.
He looked the man up and down for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said,
"What attitude? Be specific."
Chen Wei's smile faltered, and he restrained his expression. He calmly withdrew his hand and chuckled.
"My clients are willing to give your side a chance to offer compensation. If my side is satisfied, perhaps Mr. Wang can bear less criminal responsibility. Lawyer Xu, what do you think..."
A chance?
Would Li Youcai and Liu Cui be so kind-hearted?
"The price?" Xu De asked.
Chen Wei continued to smile. "Naturally, it pertains to the custody of the grandson."
As expected, Li Youcai and Liu Cui's goal was also the child. Things were exactly as Lin Yue had anticipated.
However...
"The court has already reached a conclusion regarding the custody. Lawyer Chen couldn't possibly not know that, right?"
Xu De suddenly stood up and looked straight at him. Even though his tone was gentle, he felt like a hedgehog, pricking people until they were thoroughly uncomfortable.
Chen Wei sensed his hostility but still continued,
"It's merely the first trial. If during the second... the beautiful Lawyer Lin beside you is willing to persuade Wang Mei to voluntarily give up custody..."
He left the sentence hanging, not saying more.
Lin Yue could no longer hold back her anger. She stood up immediately, gritting her teeth.
"You are coercing us!"
Chen Wei just waved his hand, completely unconcerned.
"No, no, no, this is just a negotiation."
"Moreover..."
He looked up at Xu De.
According to Chen Wei's estimation... Xu De would most likely agree.
After all, this was an opportunity to win a not-guilty verdict in a murder case. It could very well change his entire professional destiny. The temptation for a lawyer was simply too great!
And what about himself?
He would also be considered to have won, guaranteed his clients' demands, and secured a payout.
If Xu De could make Wang Mei and Xu Hong pay Li Youcai a large sum of compensation, that would be even better. It would absolutely be a win-win!
Therefore, they should have a tacit understanding right now and work together!
As for the victims Wang Mei and Xu Hong... who cared about them?
A bunch of ignorant, lower-class people. Being able to provide value to an elite like him was already their good fortune.
"What do you think?" Chen Wei asked.
Xu De looked at him and suddenly said, "Does Lawyer Chen want to go to the bathroom?"
Chen Wei was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Xu De said, "If you don't have a mirror, you can at least use your own piss, right? Take a good look at your reflection."
The air around them stagnated. Even Lin Yue stared blankly, then looked at him with a strange expression.
Chen Wei's face turned green, then red. Finally, he took a deep breath, clenched his fists to suppress his anger, and whispered,
"You better think carefully. This is a murder case. Once you lose, it will deal a heavy blow to your entire career!"
"For this case, without the letter of forgiveness and the withdrawal of their statement... how the court will rule is completely unknown."
"Moreover, you should notify Ms. Wang and let her make the decision."
Xu De directly rejected him.
"You said yourself that it's an unknown. My client doesn't need you worrying on her behalf."
"I have some tea leaves here. Tea makes you pee. Do you want to take some back?"
"You!"
Looking at the stubborn Xu De, Chen Wei's forehead was covered in dark lines. This was the first time he had met someone so unappreciative.
A win-win situation, making money together and increasing their win rates—wasn't that good?
"Hmph, then I'll see you in court."
Chen Wei glared at him for a long moment, dropped the harsh words, took a deep breath, and turned to leave.
Watching him go, Lin Yue breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at Xu De and chuckled lightly.
"You certainly have an interesting way with words."
She paused, sighed again, and whispered,
"However... even though he is annoying, without the letter of forgiveness... our chances of winning the case will indeed be much lower."
The moment she finished speaking, a response immediately sounded.
"Who said I don't have a plan?" Xu De asked casually.
Lin Yue continued,
"To be honest, I am more inclined toward negotiation, continuing to fight for custody time..."
But halfway through her sentence, she suddenly stopped. As if realizing something, her head snapped up to look at Xu De. Her clear eyes were wide with astonishment as she exclaimed,
"You have a plan!?"
"Of course I do."
Xu De nodded matter-of-factly.
"The plan is, we..."
...
Outside the lobby.
Chen Wei walked out the door with a dark expression. Just before leaving, he turned his head and took a long look at Xu De on the public bench.
He had initially wanted a win-win situation, but the man had actually been so unappreciative...
Then he wouldn't mind putting more pressure on the defendant, making sure the judge sentenced Wang Qiang even more heavily!
'Heh, ungrateful bastard!'
Chen Wei raged inwardly, feeling both humiliated and annoyed.
This was the first time he had been humiliated like this by a young pup. Since that was the case, he would teach the guy a lesson on how society really worked!
"Just wait."
With that, Chen Wei ducked his head, walked to his car, opened the door, and sped away.
Not far away.
"Is that Chen Wei from Yangteng Law Firm?"
In the parking lot, the doors of an official vehicle opened, and several men in suits stepped out. One of them looked at the departing car and spoke thoughtfully.
"It should be. The court informed us that he's the legal representative for the victims in the Wang Qiang case."
A man beside him nodded.
"Looking at the time, it makes sense for him to be at the police station."
Hearing this, the first person nodded in agreement.
There were three of them in total: two middle-aged men around thirty-five, and a young man in his twenties. All were dressed in black formal uniforms.
The uniform was somewhat similar to a suit, with a white shirt underneath and a red tie at the collar, but a red national emblem was pinned to the chest. They all exuded an imposing aura.
Undoubtedly.
These three were prosecutors from the Greenwood City Prosecutor's Office!
"Isn't this Chen Wei a famous shyster? Why is he the plaintiff's legal representative?"
The young prosecutor, Zhang Qing, furrowed his brows and gritted his teeth.
They were the prosecutors responsible for initiating the public prosecution against Wang Qiang. They had come to the police station today to collect evidence.
"Shut up."
The middle-aged prosecutor, Hu Guang, frowned. His face was resolute and stern as he reprimanded the younger man.
"We are prosecutors."
"There must be no prejudice, and personal emotions are strictly forbidden!"
Hearing this, Zhang Qing said indignantly,
"Master, I've read the files on Wang Qiang's case. He clearly was—"
Before Zhang Qing could finish speaking, Hu Guang immediately interrupted him.
"Whether he deserves to die depends on objective evidence and the court's decision, not on you, and certainly not on me!"
"If you still don't understand what a public prosecution is, then get the hell out and go to another team!"
His forceful words were heavy with the smell of gunpowder.
Seeing this, the other prosecutor, the peacemaker Wang Wei, hastily spoke up to smooth things over.
"Old Hu, look at what you're saying. Little Zhang is still young, isn't he? We've all been there. Your words are a bit too harsh."
Hu Guang just glanced at Zhang Qing, then turned and walked silently toward the police station.
Wang Wei looked back at Zhang Qing and chuckled warmly.
"Little Zhang, you need to remember as well. The public prosecution must not mix in personal emotions."
"If Chen Wei had heard what you just said... there would be trouble."
Zhang Qing opened his mouth, hesitating, but finally remained silent.
After a long while, he suddenly spoke up,
"Uncle Wang, what do you think about this case... What will happen to Wang Qiang?"
Wang Wei remained silent for a moment before shaking his head and sighing.
"It's hard to say. The evidence provided by the police, the statements from Lijia Village... they are all very unfavorable to him."
Zhang Qing asked quietly,
"Is there no other way?"
Wang Wei shook his head.
"Alright, kid, stop worrying about this. Based on the schedule, the first trial will start at the beginning of November. Just go investigate the case with your master for now."
"As for what happens to Wang Qiang... that depends on the defense lawyer's performance."
"As for what else they could possibly do given the circumstances..."
Saying this, he led the young prosecutor in the direction Hu Guang had gone, casually adding,
"I really have no idea."
"After all, he can't possibly break the law, right? That's highly unlikely."
...
"Let's go steal the child!"
"Mm... hm?"
"What did you say!?"
Inside the police station lobby.
Looking at Lin Yue, who had jumped up in astonishment, Xu De gestured for her to calm down and repeated his words clearly,
"I said, my plan is..."
"To go steal the child!"
Lin Yue: ?
Hearing his plan, Lin Yue stared at him in sheer disbelief.
A second later, her astonished voice rang out.
"No, what do you mean your plan is... to go steal the child?"
"That's breaking the law!"
"Sigh, how can you say that? How is that breaking the law?"
Xu De sounded very dissatisfied. He then began to explain slowly and softly,
"Calm down, and hear me out. I promise you that what we're going to do is absolutely legal and compliant."
"Even if you wear out the Criminal Code flipping through it, you won't find a single word of illegality!"
Lin Yue: ?
Steal a child? Legal? You're a lawyer, how did you even put those two concepts into the same sentence?
Do you even know what you're saying right now?!
Moreover...
Lin Yue covered her mouth and exclaimed,
"Why on earth would you just go steal a child!?"