Chapter 18: What Exactly Are You Trying to Do!

"Lawyer Lin, I must emphasize this once again."

Xu De's expression was solemn and his eyes serious as he spoke in a low, deep voice.

"I have never done... anything illegal!"

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow. Resting her hands on her hips, she asked in confusion, "So... you aren't going to steal the child?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Xu De immediately retorted with clear dissatisfaction.

"How is that possible? Of course I have to steal the child. Never mind stealing."

"If pushed into a corner, I'll even snatch him by force!"

Saying that, Xu De turned and walked back into the reception room. He dropped onto the sofa, looked at her, and continued,

"Also, why do you think stealing a child is illegal?"

Did that even need an explanation? Wasn't that just common sense!?

Lin Yue grumbled endlessly in her heart, but she still managed to rein in her emotions.

She took a seat opposite Xu De, organized her thoughts for a moment, and slowly began to explain.

"Dongguo does not have a specific 'child-stealing crime' in its laws. Instead, it defines two separate crimes: Article 240 of the Criminal Law, the Crime of Child Abduction and Trafficking, and Article 262, the Crime of Abducting a Child."

"Both of these laws are inextricably linked to stealing a child, and both carry heavy penalties!"

"And your intended actions perfectly constitute the liabilities for these two crimes."

What she said was completely true.

However...

"You're right, but..."

Hearing this, Xu De nodded. He offered a gentle smile before continuing the conversation.

"What is the core subjective criterion for conviction under the Crime of Child Abduction and Trafficking?"

Without waiting for her to answer, he gave the answer himself.

"It's intent plus profit!"

In other words, subjective intent combined with the pursuit of financial gain. Only when both elements exist simultaneously can one's actions be judged as the Crime of Child Abduction and Trafficking!

Xu De wasn't stealing the child for money, so theoretically, his actions could not constitute this crime.

"But even so, it still involves Article 262 of the Criminal Law, the Crime of Abducting a Child!"

Lin Yue shook her head, her tone resolute.

True, he wasn't selling the child for profit, but he was intentionally taking and controlling the child!

That fit the charge perfectly.

"Lawyer Lin, your professional expertise is quite strong."

Xu De didn't deny it, nodding in agreement.

But then, his tone took a sudden turn.

"However..."

"What you're talking about is the subjective aspect in terms of criminal law."

"What about the objective aspect? May I ask..."

"In the original text of the Criminal Law, what is the objective definition required to constitute this specific crime?"

Lin Yue paused. Her high level of legal literacy caused the original text to instantly surface in her mind, and she blurted it out without thinking.

"Article 262 explicitly defines the objective aspect as: abducting a minor under the age of fourteen, thereby separating them from their family or guardian."

If it involved profit, it was abduction and trafficking; if it didn't, it was simply abduction.

The child-stealing Xu De spoke of... was practically following the objective definition of the crime to the letter.

However!

The moment Lin Yue's words settled, Xu De interjected.

"Lawyer Lin, you said it yourself."

"Objectively, tricking or abducting a child away from their family or guardian constitutes abduction, but..."

Xu De's voice followed up seamlessly, his eyes suddenly turning sharp.

"Are Li Youcai and Liu Cui the child's guardians!?"

"Of—"

Lin Yue was about to nod, but she suddenly froze in a daze, halting entirely as she realized something.

Seeing her reaction, Xu De spoke slowly.

"They aren't!"

"According to Article 27 of the Civil Code, the core statute regarding guardianship..."

"The parents are the child's guardians!"

"Close relatives like Li Youcai and Liu Cui are merely first in line for guardianship. Note the phrasing: 'in line'!"

In other words.

Only if both of the child's parents were dead could they fight for guardianship. Only with guardianship could they attempt to keep the child.

But the problem was...

The only person who had died was Li Erniu. Wang Mei was still very much alive!

Therefore, guardianship was currently held by one person and one person alone.

"And that is my client, Wang Mei!"

Xu De spoke at a rapid pace, his tone decisive and unwavering as he continued.

"Lawyer Lin, looking back at the objective definition of the crime of abduction in the Criminal Law, do you still think... I'm breaking the law?"

As soon as those words came out, Lin Yue was utterly stunned. Her brain began to spin wildly, plunging into a storm of thoughts.

The objective definition of the crime was: separating the child from their family or guardian. But the plaintiffs were not the guardians.

The most crucial point was...

"Lawyer Lin, don't forget that the custody case has already concluded."

"Wang Mei won!"

Xu De suddenly lowered his gaze. He leaned forward and stared at her, his voice dropping to a serious tenor.

"In other words..."

"Li Youcai has neither custody rights nor guardianship."

"Legally speaking, their act of keeping the child to themselves is an illegal act in and of itself!"

Instantly, those words exploded in Lin Yue's mind. Her pupils shrank slightly.

What he was saying seemed to... actually... be right!

With neither custody nor guardianship, in the eyes of the law, Li Youcai was just a stranger to the child.

And right now, a 'stranger' was forcibly keeping the child by his side... Just thinking about it felt wrong.

A long while passed.

She finally recovered her wits and replied hesitantly,

"But... the law also mentions 'separating them from their family'. Li Youcai's status as a close blood relative is an undeniable fact..."

Even if the other party had no rights, it was hard for the law to completely ignore the bond of blood.

Xu De retorted immediately.

"First, I harbor no malicious subjective intent in taking the child."

"Second, Li Youcai's home is a home, but does the home of my client, Wang Mei, not count as the child's home!?"

As he spoke, Xu De's eyes widened. He looked at the shrinking Lin Yue with an expression full of exasperation at her failure to grasp the concept. He shook his head and sighed.

"I'm merely taking the child from a 'residence' belonging to someone who has neither custody nor guardianship..."

"And bringing him to another home, one with both custody and guardianship rights."

"Legally, I am not separating him from his family!"

In that moment, Lin Yue stood frozen in place. All the counterarguments in her head melted away like butter.

Common sense told her it was illegal, but her professional knowledge told her...

It was legal!

"This isn't called abduction. This is called exercising guardianship rights."

A smile appeared on Xu De's face. He sat on the sofa, his hands clasped and resting on the table, leaning forward slightly.

He pondered for a moment before saying,

"You know."

"No one understands breaking the law better than I do!"

Even though it seemed a bit arrogant and sounded shocking, anyone faced with this logic could only stare blankly in defeat!

After figuring this out, Lin Yue felt her heart trembling. The look she gave Xu De was entirely filled with disbelief and shock.

She had lived for over twenty years.

She had met legal giants, listened to expert lectures, graduated from a top national university, and studied under famous mentors.

But despite all those experiences, this was the very first time she had heard of legally stealing a child!

And the key was that he wasn't spouting nonsense!!!

Lin Yue's eyes went wide. Her lips parted slightly, and she voiced a question from the depths of her soul.

"Is... is this right!?"

"What's wrong with it?" Xu De replied.

"Besides, the child's custody case has already been decided. Wang Mei won the trial of first instance, and the court ordered immediate enforcement."

"Yet Li Youcai and his wife have dragged their feet and delayed handing the child over!"

Xu De waved his hand, his face showing extreme dissatisfaction. His tone was laced with anger.

"Strictly speaking,"

"We're legally stealing the child with good intentions."

"They are the ones maliciously and illegally getting stolen from!"

The moment that sentence was uttered, Lin Yue felt as if her very soul had been elevated. The wrinkles in her brain were smoothed out perfectly by his logic. Somewhere in the ether, a brand-new door had opened before her.

So words could be arranged like this...

Could a human actually come up with such a thing!?

Seeing her expression, Xu De showed a gratified look, feeling that she was finally a teachable pupil.

"Do you still think my actions constitute a crime?" he asked.

Lin Yue's lips moved, but she couldn't force out a single word of disagreement.

A crime?

Even if they brought all of this into a courtroom, the judge and prosecutor would at most be collectively dumbfounded.

No one would be able to pick out a single illegal flaw in it!

"You..."

Lin Yue looked at Xu De's calm and composed face. She didn't know what to say, her face flushing slightly red from holding it in.

After a long pause, she finally squeezed out a sentence.

"So... when are you planning to go steal the child?"

Since it wasn't illegal, she had instead begun to worry about the impending first-instance trial.

Lin Yue gripped the back of a chair, a hint of anxiety showing on her face. She said,

"You have to remember that the first-instance trial is coming up."

"If we don't steal the child back before the trial, then the trial... is going to be very risky."

Earlier at the door, she had clearly, albeit accidentally, heard that the court had sent the trial summons.

The hearing was scheduled to begin in five days, on November 10th. If Xu De didn't take action soon... he would likely lose the case.

However.

Just as Lin Yue was wondering if he would strike today, tomorrow, or the day after to catch them off guard...

"Steal the child before the trial?" Xu De raised an eyebrow, wearing a puzzled expression. He spread his hands out.

"When did I ever say I was going to steal him before the trial?"

Lin Yue: ?

"If you don't steal him before the trial, and wait until after court is adjourned and the ruling comes down, what's the point of stealing the child!?"

Lin Yue's face once again showed pure astonishment.

The trial was the place for both sides to clash and reach a verdict!

Stealing the child was supposed to be a bargaining chip to secure a victory. But if he was going to steal the child after getting the result... what use would that chip be!?

"Naturally, I'll use something else in its place," Xu De replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You must remember, the child is our leverage to handle the plaintiffs, the Li Youcai couple."

"This leverage has nothing to do with the arguments in court!"

"To deal with the judge and the prosecutor, we... need to bring out some new tricks."

Lin Yue stared blankly at the somewhat unfamiliar man before her.

She watched as Xu De pulled a document he had drafted out of his briefcase and placed it on the table.

"You didn't think I spent the past few days just working on those couple of sentences I just said, did you?"

"This is what I am going to use for the trial!"

With that said, he extended his arm, pushing the document across to her.

Curious, Lin Yue cast a puzzled gaze over the papers.

But when she clearly saw the contents of the document, she completely froze.

Right there, written boldly across the page were several lines of text...

【1. Regarding the defendant Wang Qiang acting to stop human traffickers and defend a police officer, an action which possesses the nature of acting bravely for a just cause. Based on the facts of the case and the application of the law, our side presents the following defense opinions...】

【2. Regarding the deceased Li Erniu, whose attempted intentional homicide resulted in his own self-inflicted death, which is unrelated to the defendant, our side presents the following defense opinions...】

Looking at these words, Lin Yue's eyes bulged. Her mouth formed a perfect 'O' shape, and her brain shut down entirely, descending into chaotic stagnation.

Words carried weight.

And at this moment, Lin Yue distinctly felt the crushing weight of those words.

These few lines felt like a one-ton sledgehammer smashing ruthlessly into her skull!

The trial was in five days. If this actually appeared in court, the judge and the prosecutor...

It was hard to say if they wouldn't just take off their belts and whip them!

"Wait..."

Lin Yue looked up at Xu De, her eyes filled with absolute shock. Her pale throat bobbed as she opened her lips.

A second later, a trembling, broken voice echoed through the reception room.

"What do you mean Wang Qiang's actions were self-surrender?"

"And what do you mean he was acting bravely for a just cause, protecting an armed police officer?"

"What exactly are you trying to do!"

Xu De smiled. "I meant exactly what I said."

"So, what you're saying is..."

Looking at Xu De, Lin Yue's blank expression faltered slightly as she opened her mouth.

"The defendant, Wang Qiang... caused the death of the deceased, Li Erniu, because he was acting bravely for a just cause to protect the police!?"

"Correct." Xu De nodded.

Lin Yue pressed on, "And you're claiming that Li Erniu committed suicide... or rather, his death was self-inflicted? And that he also committed the crime of attempted murder!?"

Seeing that she fully understood his intentions, Xu De looked highly satisfied.

"Spot on!"

Lin Yue opened her mouth to speak, then stopped. She hesitated a few more times before falling completely silent, swallowing all her questions.

'Protect the police? Why would the police need Wang Qiang to protect them!?'

'No, wait...'

"Can these arguments really be used in court?" Lin Yue took a deep breath, her words brimming with intense worry.

"Why couldn't they?"

Xu De found her reaction baffling. He spread his hands and leaned back in his chair, looking at her in confusion.

"I don't know what you've prepared for the courtroom, but just based on what you've told me, don't you think this is a bit..."

Lin Yue crossed her arms, weighing her words carefully before finally stating it as tactfully as she could.

"Arrogant!"

Never mind the actual courtroom debate, with just these claims alone... she feared that the moment he submitted them, the prosecutor would pull out a belt and whip him like a spinning top!

"What's arrogant about it? Everything I've proposed is reasonable and strictly follows the rules."

"If it's illegal, let Chen Wei sue me!"

Xu De couldn't care less. He waved a hand dismissively and said casually,

"Anyway... if True Monarch really wants to help..."

"Just find a male lawyer you have a good relationship with over the next two days to lend a hand. Of course, don't force it if you can't find anyone."

Lin Yue fell silent.

After a long while.

She let out a deep sigh, a helpless expression washing over her face.

"Fine."

She compromised. She had no choice. Although she had no idea how the prosecutor would react to Xu De spouting these claims.

The arguments he brought out were completely legal from every angle. There was absolutely no illegality to them. Even if the prosecutor got furious, they would have no way to deal with him!

As for finding someone...

"I do have someone in mind, it's just..."

Lin Yue reined in her thoughts. As a face surfaced in her mind, her expression suddenly became a bit strange.

Seeing her reaction.

Xu De was intrigued. Sitting in his chair, he raised an eyebrow.

"Just what?"

"It's just..."

Lin Yue pondered for a long time before finally squeezing out a sentence.

"He is somewhat free-spirited!"

"Free-spirited?"

Xu De was taken aback. What kind of description was that?

"You mean he's unrestrained? Doesn't take orders?" he guessed. "Let me make this clear first, I only want someone in the legal field who will listen."

Lin Yue shook her head and spoke gently,

"He is in the legal field, graduated from a top domestic university, and when it comes down to it, he listens to instructions and doesn't make mistakes."

He doesn't make mistakes, and he's competent...

Then what was so free-spirited about him?

Xu De didn't quite understand, but he wasn't the type to split hairs over minor details, so he didn't dwell on it.

"Alright, if he's willing to come..."

"I'll pay a fee of one thousand yuan out of my own pocket. I'll have to trouble True Monarch to go communicate with him."

Lin Yue nodded.

She looked up at Xu De, her eyes complex.

To be honest.

As a lawyer, she naturally knew what the public meant by a 'shyster', and she had even gone up against many of them.

But clearly, those past so-called 'shysters' were simply too pure and innocent compared to the man sitting in front of her!

At the very least, those guys could read their law books until the pages fell out, and they still wouldn't come up with the idea of stealing the child back!

But this man had perfectly circumvented every single illegal point... Even she, who utterly despised shysters, was willing to help him!

Lin Yue's emotions were in a tangle.

This swirl of feelings even made her forget to bicker about him calling her 'True Monarch'. She immediately sighed and said,

"Alright."

"I'll take my leave now."

Xu De offered a friendly smile and stood up. "Take care. I won't see you out."

Lin Yue wasn't one for pleasantries either. She turned and walked toward the door.

Reaching the front door, she pulled her trench coat tighter and wrapped her scarf around her cheeks, as if trying to bundle up her heavy thoughts along with herself.

Creak—

The door opened, and she stepped out into the freezing wind.

Xu De withdrew his gaze.

He didn't feel much of anything; he simply tidied up the documents on his desk and stuffed them into his briefcase.

He had done everything he needed to do.

All that was left... was to wait for the trial to begin in five days!

......

Meanwhile.

"Heh, what a naive, greenhorn idiot!"

On the other side.

Chen Wei left Jinmao Law Firm and returned to his own Yangteng Law Firm with a belly full of rage.

Bang!

He violently shoved the front door open, his face incredibly gloomy. Striding inside, he slammed his briefcase directly onto a desk.

Bang!

Inside the law firm's lobby.

Several lawyers familiar with Chen Wei were drawn by the commotion. Looking up, they immediately saw his deeply displeased expression. Raising an eyebrow, one asked,

"What's wrong, Lawyer Chen? Run into a tricky client?"

Hearing the voice.

The anger on Chen Wei's face didn't fade; if anything, it burned brighter. He took a deep breath and sneered,

"I ran into a lawyer who's still wet behind the ears!"

His words were concise, and his colleagues immediately understood.

Law was a rather extreme profession. Newcomers to the industry were usually either completely black-hearted and cunning, or brimming with hot blood, wanting to fight for justice and the world.

For veterans like them, whenever they encountered the latter in certain cases...

It was a genuine headache. After all, those types were stubborn mules. No matter what you said, they wouldn't change their stance and would fight you to the bitter end.

"Enough about that. Are my two clients here?"

Chen Wei took a deep breath, reining in his emotions, and looked at the crowd to ask.

A colleague replied, "The clients for the Wang Qiang case?"

Chen Wei nodded. "Yes."

It was only because of their demands that he had even gone to discuss things with Xu De. He had assumed that after their initial talk at the police station, the other party would have thought things through over the past few days and chosen to cooperate. Unfortunately... he never imagined he would get cursed out a second time!

"Tsk, tsk. Lawyer Chen, your case is causing a massive uproar out there,"

the colleague remarked.

"Besides, the trial starts in just a couple of days. How could the clients not show up? They're waiting in the reception room."

How did one determine the severity of a case?

By looking at public opinion!

And this case, which had taken place in Lijia Village, had already caused a massive uproar in Greenwood City!

A child abducted, a ten-year search, the buyers treating the victim like a dog, their refusal to return her, the victim's father killing the buyer, and now facing charges of intentional homicide...

Just piling these factors together made it hard for the public outcry not to be severe!

"Alright, I got it."

Chen Wei nodded again.

Without even picking up his briefcase, he headed straight toward the reception room.

Soon, he stood at the door, placing his hand on the knob and giving it a gentle twist...

Creak—

The door opened.

Li Youcai and Liu Cui appeared through the gap. The two had been dozing off, but upon hearing the noise, they snapped their heads around.

Seeing it was Chen Wei, their eyes immediately lit up, and they rushed forward.

"How did it go? Did that ungrateful wretch agree!?"

Liu Cui asked excitedly.

As she spoke, it was as if she could already see the image of Wang Mei serving her for the rest of her life, her tone brimming with anticipation.

"Heh heh, that's the crime of murder! He committed murder, so he has to be punished!"

Li Youcai smugly started puffing on his dry pipe, his voice drifting through the swirling smoke.

"If he doesn't want to be punished, he has to sign."

His tone carried a sense of absolute certainty.

It was as if he had Wang Mei completely in the palm of his hand, just like he had controlled her for the past ten years!

So what if they had trafficked her? The other party still couldn't do anything to them!

Unfortunately, reality was the exact opposite.

Hearing this, Chen Wei's face looked a bit grim. He hesitated for a moment before finally closing the door and replying,

"They... didn't sign."

As his words fell.

The two people in front of him froze slightly. A second later, a sharp voice, thick with a rural dialect, rang out.

Li Youcai looked stunned. He pulled the dry pipe from his mouth and said, "Didn't sign?"

"Did they eat a bear's heart and a leopard's gall!? How dare they not sign!?"

Liu Cui's face turned even uglier, her sharp, monkey-like features instantly contorting as she shrieked in anger.

"Her father killed my son! We just want our grandson, and she won't even give us that!?"

With that.

Liu Cui started slapping her thighs and wailing at the top of her lungs.

"Oh heavens, is there no justice left!? Are you trying to kill us!? Isn't this forcing people to end their family line!?"

Listening to her howling.

"Don't panic. The court has already issued the subpoena. The trial begins in five days!"

Chen Wei repeatedly tried to placate them.

"Once we gain the upper hand in the courtroom in five days, then..."

"They will be the ones begging us to sign the letter of forgiveness!"

In his eyes, the opposing side was simply refusing to turn back until they hit a brick wall. The first-instance arguments in five days would completely tear their unrealistic delusions to shreds!

Hearing this.

Liu Cui and Li Youcai's eyes immediately lit up, and they instantly stopped howling.

"Really!?"

Chen Wei offered a confident smile and took two sips of the tea on the table.

"The opposing lawyer is just a wet-behind-the-ears kid. I asked around at his law firm; he has absolutely zero record of criminal trials. His defeat is a certainty!"

"Haha, then we'll be counting on you, Lawyer Chen!"

Li Youcai and Liu Cui were instantly overjoyed.

Having received his affirmative answer.

The two then hurriedly left, preparing to go home and play with their grandson.

After seeing them off.

Chen Wei let out a long breath. He watched their retreating backs and began to ponder.

The factors that decided the direction of a case, aside from [evidence], often included another.

The judge's discretionary power!

In other words, the judge's personal will. This was crucial. Besides evidence, the only thing that could influence the outcome of a case was who the judge personally favored.

And the thing most likely to influence a judge was...

Public opinion!

In the year 2002, the medium that best reflected the state of public opinion regarding the Lijia Village case was newspapers.

Thinking of this.

Chen Wei walked straight over to the nearby public newspaper rack and pulled out a newspaper delivered to Greenwood City that morning, still holding a faint trace of warmth.

Rustle—

The newspaper unfolded, the paper making a crisp sound.

The next second, the social news covering the case instantly caught Chen Wei's eye!

【Moral Decay! Greenwood City Shocked by...】

[A loss of morality! A shocking case emerges in Greenwood City: the victim faces the death penalty!]

[Does the law still need improvement? Ten years of searching for his child, and what welcomes him is not a reunion, but prison!]

[Outrageous! Should human traffickers be stripped of their human rights?! Should buyers face the same charges as the traffickers!]

[Confessions of an abducted woman, the person chained in the pigpen...]

[...]

November 8.

At half past six in the morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten. A biting chill hung in the air, and along both sides of the street, white steam billowed continuously from the steamer baskets of the breakfast stalls.

Looking at the striking headlines in the newspaper, the diners sitting around the breakfast stand felt a fire burning in their chests.

"Screw this! When the kid was kidnapped, they didn't show up. When she was being raped, there wasn't a shadow of them either. But the moment the family kills the trafficker, a whole bunch of cops suddenly appear!"

"What about Li Erniu's parents? Why aren't those two being arrested?!"

"Those two didn't break the law..."

"Bullshit! She was captive for ten years. Do you honestly believe those two old bastards didn't take part in the abuse?"

"I bet those two old bastards even put up the money to buy her!"

"Sigh, the court has no evidence."

"What a messed-up world..."

"..."

At the breakfast stand, several people sat in a circle. They read the newspaper, arguing until their faces were flushed and their necks bulged. Their glares looked as if they wanted to eat someone alive, their chests heaving violently.

The heated debate rose and fell, almost never stopping.

Lin Guodong stood in line a short distance away, turning his head to look at them as he listened silently.

The stall owner serving his food glanced up, then lowered his head again, continuing his work without pausing. He casually asked, "Professor Lin, what do you think of this case?"

Hearing the question, Lin Guodong snapped out of his daze.

He withdrew his gaze, looked at the stall owner in front of him, shook his head, and sighed.

"It's difficult."

Even though he hadn't read the newspaper, Lin Guodong knew exactly what these people were discussing.

It was none other than the trafficking case of the woman in Lijia Village, Greenwood City!

The victim, Wang Mei, had been abducted for a full ten years. For a decade, she had been chained in a woodshed and subjected to daily assaults, living a life worse than a dog's.

In order to save her, her father killed the trafficker during the rescue and was now being taken to court by Li Youcai and Liu Cui...

"You know, in the past, with cases like this, some lawyers would practically pay out of their own pockets to take them on."

Lin Guodong's tone was flat, but his words were filled with melancholy.

Lawyers worked for money, but it also depended on the nature of the case. As long as a case generated enough social pressure and public opinion, those star lawyers would gladly spend their own money to run around for the victim!

Wang Qiang's case was big enough. It had caused an uproar throughout Greenwood City, with people discussing it in every street and alley.

But even now, not a single major lawyer had stepped up to take the case.

"Because it's hard to win."

Lin Guodong lowered his head and dug into his pocket for money, speaking as he did so.

"The defendant struck first, and Li Erniu died as a result. On this point alone, there is almost no evidence favoring the defense."

"Not to mention the rest of the objective evidence that favors Li Erniu."

Saying this, Lin Guodong shook his head.

"It's difficult."

Hearing this, the owner paused his work, refusing to give up.

"I heard the trial starts the day after tomorrow. There are still two days left."

"Is there really nothing that can be done in these two days?!"

Lin Guodong's heart was a tangled mess of emotions. He didn't want to say it, but as a professional in the field, he understood the inner workings better than anyone.

Breaking his silence, he replied, "Even if there is, the chances are only one in a hundred. Calling it a miracle wouldn't be an exaggeration..."

With that said,

he didn't wait for the breakfast stall owner to speak and continued,

"Let's put it this way."

"The incident happened in Lijia Village. The police and prosecutors can only gather evidence in Lijia Village!"

"That includes testimonies, witnesses, and physical evidence. And the testimonies and witnesses..."

Where would that evidence come from? Naturally, from the villagers of Lijia Village!

What kind of evidence would they provide? Anyone with half a brain would know it would be a hundred percent fabricated to benefit Li Youcai!

And the police and prosecutors had no choice but to hold their noses and record this evidence.

"That's why this case is so difficult, and why no one is willing to take it."

Lin Guodong let out a long sigh.

Cross-examination required genuine evidence, but the defense couldn't produce any. Shrewd lawyers wouldn't let themselves take on such an impossible risk.

"This..."

The breakfast stall owner's lips moved. He looked at his former junior high classmate and finally sighed as well, saying nothing more.

He handed the breakfast to Lin Guodong, then turned away to silently knead his dough.

Lin Guodong turned his head and glanced at the diners at the tables.

The customers were still filled with righteous indignation.

He shook his head, looking away, and turned to leave with his tofu pudding and flatbread, disappearing into the distance.

The weather in November was rather biting.

Lin Guodong walked down the street wearing a thick, bulky coat. He stopped and started, turning past several intersections.

A short time later.

Lin Guodong stood in front of a Daoist temple. He walked into the courtyard, finally stopping before a guest room where he raised his arm and placed his hand on the door.

Creak.

The door opened at his touch.

"You're back?"

A gentle voice came from inside. Looking up, he saw a mild-mannered middle-aged woman walking toward him to close the door.

"Yes."

Lin Guodong nodded, placing all the breakfast he held onto the table.

"Eat while it's hot."

His wife, Su Xin, glanced at him, then slowly turned her back to him. As she set out the breakfast, she asked,

"Are you in a bad mood? What's wrong?"

"Sigh."

Hearing this, Lin Guodong didn't hold back. He immediately sat down on a chair and let out a long sigh.

"It's that case in Lijia Village. You have no idea how massive the public uproar is out there right now."

"At the breakfast stand, the wet market, the supermarket... Just on my way back from buying breakfast, I ran into crowds discussing it at least five times!"

As the wife of law professor Lin Guodong,

Su Xin was also in the legal field. She naturally knew about the case and said gently,

"What are your thoughts? Maybe you could contact the local lawyers' association and try taking on the case..."

At her words, he fell silent.

As everyone knew, the legal field... produced a lot of depression!

Lin Guodong wanted the justice system to be better, wanted society to be more stable, and wanted the people to be happier. But... reality always dealt him a heavy blow, leaving him feeling lost.

Take the simplest thing with the greatest contradictions: marriage.

First, when divorcing, the court decided based on 'whether the affection has broken down.' This meant that even if the relationship was completely shattered, as long as one party refused to let go, getting a divorce was very difficult.

It seems unreasonable, doesn't it?

But if you were a man, and without this law, you were tricked into marriage, and the woman swiftly divorced you the day after the wedding, with the court immediately declaring the divorce valid.

What would await you then? Your assets would be split at lightning speed!

Therefore, a divorce buffer period was needed.

Thinking about it this way, does it seem reasonable again? No.

Now, imagine you are a woman suffering from domestic violence. You can't take it anymore and want a divorce. But because this law exists, the man firmly insists that the affection hasn't broken down, making a quick divorce impossible.

Like this, doesn't it feel unreasonable once more?

But if you tried to break it down further, attempting to perfect the law, not only would it fail to plug the holes, but the loopholes would actually grow larger.

Lin Guodong, an idealist, had lost himself at this double-edged, maddening crossroad.

Thus, he decisively moved to the Daoist temple to rest for a few months, allowing his state of mind to return to a peaceful equilibrium.

"Forget it."

Lin Guodong remained silent for a moment and shook his head.

"I am merely an academic. To take on a case using the title of a professor from a top-tier university would be irresponsible to the client."

Hearing this, his wife Su Xin didn't offer empty platitudes.

The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes curved slightly as she softly consoled her husband.

"So you know you're a theoretical professor?"

"The lawsuit our Yue is handling seems to involve the Lijia Village case. Why don't you offer her some theoretical guidance?"

Lin Guodong paused slightly.

He had a daughter named Lin Yue. She was also in the legal profession and had become a lawyer after graduation.

Recently, she had taken on the custody case for the child of the victim in the Lijia Village trafficking case. And custody would inevitably involve the family's attitude toward the defendant following Li Erniu's death...

Looking at it this way, Lin Yue had to be overwhelmed right now.

After all, she was still young. It was normal for her to find it tricky.

"But... she hasn't asked me about it these past few days."

Lin Guodong hesitated.

Su Xin replied, "The kid hasn't been out of school for long. She probably just doesn't want you to see her struggling."

Lin Guodong thought for a moment and found it made sense.

"Then I'll give it a try. Helping even a little is better than nothing."

Having made up his mind,

Lin Guodong didn't dawdle. He stood up and walked outside.

Watching his retreating back, Su Xin smiled. She unhurriedly sat down on her chair and began to eat her breakfast with slow, deliberate bites.

...

Guest room.

Knock, knock, knock.

Lin Guodong knocked on his daughter Lin Yue's door, but there was no answer from inside for a long time.

'Is she not home?'

He raised an eyebrow, questions popping up in his mind, and then applied a little force with his hands.

The next second...

Creak.

The door opened.

A simply decorated bedroom appeared before his eyes. Lin Yue was currently sitting at her desk, reading a book intently. As she read, her face displayed an expression of absolute existential doubt.

Seeing his daughter at home, hesitation flickered across Lin Guodong's face.

"What are you doing?"

He leaned in and asked softly.

"Why have you been looking so out of it these past two days?"

When he got closer and saw the book in Lin Yue's hands clearly, Lin Guodong's eyebrows shot up.

To his surprise, what she was reading was the supreme, ultimate manual of Dongguo: the Criminal Code!

If he remembered correctly, two days ago, after going out early in the morning, she came back and locked herself in her room, studying this book for several days straight.

Looking at her expression... she must have encountered a difficult problem!

"Ah?"

Hearing his voice, Lin Yue finally snapped out of her daze.

She turned her head, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing it was her father, and recalled the question he had just asked her...

Lin Yue hesitated for a moment. Finally, with a look of existential crisis on her face, she said, "Dad, I... I ran into a tricky problem, and I've been thinking about it for the past two days."

Sure enough.

She really did have a question!

Seeing this,

a smile appeared on Lin Guodong's face, and he mentally prepared himself to provide an answer.

After all, although his daughter wasn't a world-class lawyer, she was still a top student who had graduated from a premier domestic university!

Without a doubt, Lin Yue was a genius, yet even this genius had questions...

What kind of question could this be?!

"It's fine, you can ask Dad."

Lin Guodong pulled out a chair, sat down beside Lin Yue, and spoke softly.

Hearing this, Lin Yue displayed a rare, strange expression. She paused and asked, "Are you sure you can answer it?"

Lin Guodong was taken aback, but then he laughed.

"If it were anything else, I might not be, but when it comes to the legal field... in all of Dongguo, your dad is absolutely top-tier!"

Lin Guodong was very confident.

This confidence stemmed from his ability and status!

He was a law professor at a top-tier university, a man dedicated to the academic circle. He had mentored several PhDs himself!

The papers he published were featured by authoritative international institutions and cited by countless people!

Even when it came to amending judicial laws, he held the authority to offer his opinions. He was absolutely a titan in the academic legal field, standing at the very pinnacle of the profession's pyramid!

Now, it was merely a student's question. How could he not be able to answer it?

"Then I'll ask,"

Lin Yue spoke hesitantly.

Lin Guodong nodded. "Ask away."

At his words,

Lin Yue took a deep breath. She furrowed her brows, remained silent for a while, and finally spoke word by word:

"Dad, tell me..."

"Is stealing a child actually illegal?"

Lin Guodong: ?

Lin Guodong paused. He looked at his daughter, freezing on the spot.

This was something in the legal field... No, even an illiterate person would understand this. It was the most basic of basics, absolute common sense... How did such a question come out of the mouth of a Shuimu University graduate?!

She had even flipped through the Criminal Code for days without finding an answer, and came to ask a professor like him!

The next second, Lin Guodong's face filled with astonishment as he exclaimed, "Are you delirious?!"

Lin Guodong felt like the sky was falling.

He knew his daughter was an earnest, responsible, and independent person. She liked to solve problems on her own and wouldn't rest until she found an answer.

That kind of determination was good.

But she couldn't just obsess over something until she gave herself a high fever!

What did she mean by asking if stealing a child was illegal? Were those really the words of his straight-A daughter, Lin Yue?!

"No, Dad. I'm serious."

Lin Yue took a deep breath, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.

A few days ago, the things Xu De had told her at the law firm had been nothing short of shocking.

She had tried to find loopholes in his argument using the Criminal Code, but after searching for days, she discovered... it actually seemed to be legal!

"Sweetheart, do you really have a fever?"

Lin Guodong was a bit worried. He even reached out and felt her forehead, only to find her temperature was completely normal.

Lin Yue shook her head and brushed his hand away. After a moment of thought, she asked:

"Dad."

"Tell me, if a lawyer steals a child to complete a commission... does that constitute a crime?"

Hearing this, Lin Guodong still had no idea what she was playing at, but he humored her and replied:

"Naturally, it's illegal."

"Abducting a child for profit absolutely constitutes the Crime of Child Abduction and Trafficking."

This was the most basic of basics. He only needed to quickly recall the law to find the answer.

However, the moment his words fell, Lin Yue spoke up again:

"Then what if the client is the child's biological mother?"

The person asking to steal the child is the mother?

Lin Guodong paused slightly. He rubbed his chin, a little hesitant, but still answered.

"That... is also illegal. Civilly, it infringes on the other party's custody rights."

"Criminally, it constitutes the Crime of Illegal Detention, robbery, and gathering a crowd to engage in a brawl."

It was as if she had been waiting for him to finish that sentence.

Lin Yue spoke up once more, her voice urgent:

"Then what if the child's father is dead, leaving only the mother, and the child is currently just staying in the home of nominal close relatives!?"

"Under those circumstances, is stealing the child... illegal?"

Lin Guodong: ?

"Hold... hold on."

Lin Guodong was stunned. Her rapid-fire questions had clearly caught him off guard, and his mind was reeling.

The father is dead? That meant... the custody rights rested solely with the mother?

Wait, if you have custody, why would you have nothing better to do than steal your own child!?

Hold on...

In a daze, Lin Guodong's eyes widened as something suddenly clicked. He looked up, staring at Lin Yue in shock.

"Yue, are you talking about Wang Mei's case!?"

His exclamation echoed in the small bedroom, his expression one of utter bewilderment.

The father is dead, the child is with close relatives, and only the mother is alive. Wasn't this exactly Wang Mei's custody dispute, which was deeply tied to the Lijia Village case!?

And his own daughter seemed to be the lawyer handling this case!

"It's that case."

Lin Yue nodded, not denying it.

The moment she confirmed it, Lin Guodong stared at her with wide eyes.

His daughter... wasn't she an idealist like him? Since when did she harbor such wicked thoughts like stealing a child!?

Thinking of this, Lin Guodong couldn't sit still anymore. He immediately stood up and urged Lin Yue:

"Yue, the case is difficult, and I know it's hard to get the child back."

"But... but we can't just go steal a child because enforcement is difficult! That is absolutely unacceptable!"

But Lin Yue shook her head. She sighed and pressed again:

"Dad, answer me first. Under these circumstances, is it illegal to steal the child?"

Lin Guodong was just about to reject the idea.

But the words caught in his throat, and he couldn't spit them out no matter how hard he tried.

He knew about Wang Mei's case. Since the biological father was dead, custody naturally belonged to Wang Mei alone. So the so-called grandparents...

"But... custody still requires a court ruling..."

Lin Guodong hesitated, about to voice his denial, but before he could finish, Lin Yue interrupted him.

"Custody has already been decided. Wang Mei won the case."

Lin Yue helpfully added, "Moreover, the child's biological mother would be brought along during the theft. The lawyer wouldn't go alone."

"Dad."

"Is this illegal?"

Lin Guodong opened his mouth to speak, then stopped, then tried again.

His face flushed red as his thoughts spiraled into chaos.

Was it illegal?

With both rearing and custody rights in hand, legally speaking, the child belonged to Wang Mei. Therefore, rather than calling it stealing... it was more like a fun little game between mother and son!

And what about the family whose rights were being infringed upon?

No, the other party had no rights.

Based on the conditions Lin Yue provided... as long as Wang Mei and the lawyer didn't go in with the intent to assault anyone, simply stealing the child carried absolutely no risk!

Neither civil nor criminal!

"This... this, this..."

Lin Guodong's face grew redder and redder, yet he couldn't utter a single word.

This wasn't right. This wasn't right at all.

The judicial system didn't work like this!

If you want a child, you should first fight a lawsuit for a year. After the lawsuit, you bicker with the other side for a few months, wait another few months for the compliance period, and then, after the other side fails to comply for two years, you apply to the police and the court for forced enforcement. Then you wait a few more months for the enforcement application to be approved before you can finally snatch the child back!

How could you not even wait for the compliance period right after the court ruling...

And just steal him outright!!!

And yet, it seemed they had actually threaded the needle through a bunch of legal loopholes!

Bastards, legal procedures and laws are not meant to be used like this!!!

"No..."

Lin Guodong's face was bright red. He looked at his daughter as if she were a stranger, his chest heaving violently.

"Who put this idea in your head!?"

Lin Yue didn't answer. Instead, she handed him the portion of the documents Xu De had compiled regarding the 'legality' of the plan.

She had asked Xu De about it too, and to ensure her peace of mind, Xu De had said she could have someone corroborate his words without leaking confidential information.

So her father was completely allowed to look at it.

Rustle.

Lin Guodong snatched the papers, the sheets making a crisp sound.

Immediately, his eyes locked onto the document, but the moment he clearly read the text upon it...

His eyes bulged, looking as if he wanted to glue his face to the black and white text.

The contents of the document were generally the same as what Lin Yue had just described.

But much more detailed!

Not only did it cite legal precedents, analyzing the original text of the law with strict precision to prove that their stealing of the child did not violate any laws.

It even left more than half a page free to list the evidence proving that Li Youcai and Liu Cui were the ones actually committing illegal acts!

When he finished reading...

Lin Guodong: ?

Lin Guodong was dumbfounded. As a leading figure in the legal field, this was the first time a document had ever made him feel this way.

Shocked.

Unprecedentedly shocked!

Decades of his worldview were being challenged like never before at this very moment. A massive earthquake was shaking his core beliefs!

He just stood there frozen, repeatedly scrutinizing the document up, down, left, and right, desperately trying to find a single flaw.

A long while passed.

Lin Yue finally couldn't take it anymore. Sitting in her chair, she looked up at him and carefully asked:

"Dad."

Lin Guodong snapped out of it, acting as if he were waking from a dream but hadn't fully shaken off sleep.

He looked at his daughter with bewildered eyes.

"Hm?"

Lin Yue asked, "Is this illegal?"

Lin Guodong: ...

Lin Guodong choked again.

Looking into her sincere eyes, he held his breath for a long time before finally replying:

"This is unethical!"

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow, asking suspiciously, "So, is it illegal?"

"This lacks professional ethics!"

Lin Guodong repeated loudly, his face turning an even deeper shade of red.

Stop asking if it's illegal. If you ask, it's just unethical!

But correspondingly, that meant...

"You can't find anything illegal about it, can you?" Lin Yue suddenly said.

Lin Guodong fell silent, unable to speak.

"It really isn't illegal!?"

Lin Yue was thoroughly surprised, even though she had expected as much.

But when even Lin Guodong was left speechless, she couldn't help but feel shocked.

Amidst her shock, Lin Yue also recalled Xu De's other ultimate weapon—namely, the matter of Wang Qiang being unarmed and acting bravely for a just cause to protect an armed police officer.

The corners of her mouth twitched involuntarily.

The trial was in two days.

With a lawyer like this in Greenwood City, the local prosecutors were in for a real treat.

Thinking of this, Lin Yue felt the urge to laugh. She could already picture the scene that would unfold in the courtroom.

Having resolved the burden of whether it was 'illegal' or not, Lin Yue seemed much more lively.

She stood up and cheerfully said:

"Alright, you should go eat. I'm going to change clothes."

With that, she pushed Lin Guodong out of the room.

With a click, the door shut.

Meanwhile, standing outside the door, Lin Guodong couldn't snap out of his daze for a long time.

His expression was deeply moved, his eyes bewildered.

Within that bewilderment lay a touch of shock, and within that shock, a trace of horror.

His entire person seemed to have lost its soul, wandering like a walking corpse.

In fact, Lin Guodong didn't even realize when he had returned to his bedroom or when he had sat down at the dining table!

"Old Lin, what are you thinking about? Why do you look so out of it?"

At the table.

His wife, Su Xin, looked at her husband, who had been absent-minded ever since returning from their daughter's room, a hint of confusion on her face.

Lin Guodong regained a bit of clarity.

He looked at his wife and parted his lips.

Then, this leading figure of the domestic legal world, a top-tier university law professor, a true heavyweight authority in academic circles, a man regarded as a founding grandmaster... asked a question that came straight from his soul.

"Tell me..."

"Is stealing a child illegal?"

Su Xin: ?

"Has your fever made you delirious!?"

"It's nothing. I'm just feeling a bit emotional."

Lin Guodong gathered his thoughts and didn't elaborate.

"Emotional about what?" Su Xin asked.

"The prosecutors in Greenwood City."

Lin Guodong raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of a sigh.

"The prosecutors and judges of Greenwood City... are probably in for a treat!"

A treat?

What kind of treat could prosecutors and judges possibly get?

Su Xin was confused, her face full of doubt, but she didn't press the issue.

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

His appetite fully stimulated, he dropped one last sentence before digging into his meal.

"Anyway..."

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

......

That day.

November 8th, 8:00 PM.

The Greenwood City Intermediate People's Procuratorate had long since closed. The entire building was plunged into darkness and total silence.

Yet, one window still glowed with light.

Inside the office.

"Phew."

Prosecutor Hu Guang let out a long breath. Sitting at his desk, he reached up to massage his aching brow.

The desk lamp cast a warm yellow glow, illuminating the exhaustion etched on his face.

A voice came from beside him.

"You should clock out. Your health is more important, after all."

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

Looking up, he saw his colleague Wang Wei and his apprentice Zhang Qing standing behind him. Both looked equally tired, showing obvious signs of fatigue.

Hu Guang didn't reply. He grasped the teacup and took a small sip.

Gulp.

The hot tea flowed down his throat and into his chest, a stream of warmth driving away the chill in his body.

Hu Guang felt his entire body relax. He let out a long sigh and looked up at the two men.

"Did the court say anything about the chain of evidence we submitted?"

Wang Wei pulled out a chair and sat down heavily.

He then replied in a mild tone:

"No. The prosecution's evidence corroborates with the police's findings, and it was submitted during the designated evidentiary period. Naturally, there won't be any issues."

Hu Guang nodded.

As the prosecutor in charge of the Wang Qiang case, he naturally had to double-check everything as the trial approached.

Then, Hu Guang looked up again, turning to Zhang Qing, who was sitting silently to the side. He frowned and asked:

"What about the victim's family?"

"Don't let them go missing when the trial starts."

Some people were completely unpredictable. They might skip a trial entirely just to sleep in a little longer, especially in remote areas where legal awareness was abysmally low.

Zhang Qing spoke up:

"I notified Chen Wei a few days ago."

Chen Wei was a shyster, but being a shyster only meant his character and methods were underhanded.

It didn't mean he was incompetent!

Ensuring that Li Youcai and Liu Cui appeared in court on time was a simple matter Chen Wei could definitely handle. Except...

"Chen Wei has been collecting testimonies in Lijia Village."

Zhang Qing hesitated for a moment before he finally couldn't hold back anymore. He frowned and said:

"Those testimonies of his..."

Before he could finish, Hu Guang cut him off.

"What? Are the testimonies illegal?"

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

Feeling the nicotine fill his chest, he exhaled a long puff of smoke and looked at the young prosecutor before him, his tone seemingly indifferent:

"Or are you saying Chen Wei fabricated evidence?"

Hearing this, Zhang Qing felt a lump in his throat. After a long pause, he shook his head and replied quietly,

"No."

Chen Wei was taking statements in Lijia Village, right near the scene of the crime. Was there anything wrong with that?

To be honest, from a judicial standpoint, there was no problem.

But one had to remember that testimonies came from people's mouths, and what people said wasn't determined by reality, but solely by what they wanted to say!

Faced with an outsider who had killed Li Erniu, what would the villagers of Lijia Village say?

They would naturally call black white and smear white as black!

Especially since the testimonies were provided by the dozens of people who had actively participated in the riot at the scene.

In a court of law, their testimonies held significant weight!

But this group of people couldn't possibly admit that Li Erniu deserved to die, or that they had also broken the law, right? No. Out of self-preservation, even their subconscious would lean toward supporting Li Youcai.

Even if these testimonies deviated from reality.

They could still be presented in court and used as evidence!

"What about the defense lawyer?" Hu Guang suddenly asked.

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

Upon hearing this, the two men paused slightly.

After thinking for a moment, they shook their heads.

"None."

"There's no news from the court at all. No evidence was submitted during the evidentiary period," Wang Wei replied.

No evidence submitted at all.

That meant...

"He wants to fight the case purely on oral arguments."

Hu Guang was taken aback, his brow furrowing.

"What kind of track record does this lawyer have?"

Relying purely on oral arguments and impromptu performance in court... was simply too arrogant!

Even veteran lawyers wouldn't dare attempt such a thing. Anyone who could win based solely on that was, at the very least, a golden lawyer.

No... even a golden lawyer wouldn't dare pull a stunt like this!

"No track record."

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

A young lawyer fresh out of his internship, lacking any evidence, planning to rely on impromptu oral arguments...

Meanwhile, the opposing side had a meticulously constructed chain of logic rigorously prepared by the police and the prosecution, and Chen Wei had even gathered testimonies from Lijia Village!

This...

"Enough. We're the prosecution, not the defense."

Hu Guang stubbed out his cigarette and took a deep breath. The exhaustion in his eyes faded, replaced by a sharp and steady gaze.

"We've followed all the required procedures. Now, all that's left is to... wait for the trial the day after tomorrow!"

However, the person worrying about the Lijia Village case...

Wasn't just him alone.

......

November 9th.

Greenwood City Intermediate People's Court.

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

"This..."

"Old Zhang, the nature of this case is too severe, and the public outcry is immense. The court has opted for an open trial. If the defense's position looks too pathetic during the hearing..."

In the office of the First Criminal Trial Court.

Judge Liu Jianguo held a newspaper, his face heavy with solemnity as he looked at the overwhelming public opinion plastered across the pages.

After a long while, he finally turned his head to look beside him.

Sitting next to him was a middle-aged man in judge's robes. He had a square face, weathered skin, and ordinary features, yet he radiated an imposing aura of natural authority.

Liu Jianguo spoke heavily:

"The trial starts tomorrow. Barring any accidents, there will be a massive number of people watching this case in person."

According to legal regulations.

In open trials, bystanders and journalists were allowed to attend and watch from the public gallery.

And if they saw the defense losing badly... it would probably spark mass outrage!

A father who searched for his daughter for ten years, committing a serious crime by causing the death of a human trafficker to save her...

Just picturing that scene gave Liu Jianguo goosebumps.

Yet, unfortunately...

"We will conduct the trial normally,"

Judge Zhang Bingxin said expressionlessly. He gripped the newspaper, his calm eyes showing not a single ripple of emotion.

Hearing this, Liu Jianguo hesitated, as if wanting to say something but stopping himself.

Zhang Bingxin was the judge in charge of the Wang Qiang case—in common terms, the presiding judge—and the presiding judge's attitude played a decisive role in the direction of the entire case!

Liu Jianguo knew what kind of personality he had.

Neutral, fair, and transparent!

Zhang Bingxin rarely exercised what was known as discretionary power. He only cared about evidence and the truth.

Therefore, this also indirectly meant it would come down to the personal abilities of the lawyers and representatives on both sides. And in this case, Wang Qiang's defense lawyer... had not even submitted a single piece of substantial evidence.

"Pack up."

Zhang Bingxin finished reading the newspaper, lowered his hand expressionlessly, and stood up.

"Prepare for tomorrow's trial!"

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

He was just a judge in the court, not the police, not the prosecution, not even the presiding judge. The only thing he could do right now...

Was prepare for the trial!

Thinking of this, Liu Jianguo brushed aside his emotions. His expression turned solemn as he completely immersed himself back into his work.

On this day.

The passage of time throughout the entire afternoon seemed to slow down, making it feel incredibly long!

【Yangteng Law Firm.】

The victim's legal representative, Chen Wei, looked at the compiled string of informational documents in his hands, a sinister smile flashing in his eyes.

【Intermediate People's Procuratorate.】

Prosecutors Hu Guang and Wang Wei repeatedly double-checked the materials they needed, their expressions exceptionally stern.

【Jinmao Law Firm.】

Xu De finished writing the final document and looked at the words on the page with a smile.

Whether he lived or died would depend on whether he could single-handedly out-argue everyone else in court tomorrow!

Furthermore.

Even out in society...

The discussions regarding the Lijia Village case throughout all of Greenwood City grew increasingly heated!

The aunties at the vegetable market, the workers in the construction site canteens, the white-collar office workers, the factory laborers—spit flew everywhere as they passionately debated the case, their fiery emotions somewhat driving away the November chill.

Even the journalists were getting their pens and paper ready.

Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for the first trial tomorrow!!!

And under these anxious, highly active circumstances involving all parties, time quietly slipped away. In the blink of an eye...

......

......

November 10th.

The Lijia Village case: the first trial begins!

November 10.

Qingwu Province, Greenwood City, Intermediate People's Court.

Afternoon.

"Oh no, oh no, we're late! If we don't go in now, the trial will be over before we know it!"

Outside the main entrance to the Greenwood City Intermediate People's Court.

A taxi hadn't even come to a complete stop before its door was rashly thrown open.

A slender female reporter wearing flat shoes scrambled out. Holding a microphone, she took a single glance at the towering steps leading to the main hall before anxiously racing up them.

"Clack, clack, clack..."

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the air, accompanied by loud bickering.

"Zhang Wang, you are dead meat! If we miss this scoop, I'll be the first to report you to the team leader when we get back!"

The female reporter, Zhang Xia, gritted her teeth and ran breathlessly up the steps, not forgetting to scold the person behind her as she moved.

Behind her, a slightly plump man with a press badge around his neck followed closely. Panting heavily and clenching his jaw, he lugged a tripod and a video camera.

Feeling extremely wronged, Zhang Wang howled as he chased after her.

"Sis, the company car broke down and we had to take a taxi! How is that my fault?!"

"All I did was forget the camera the first time we left, and then when I went back for it, I accidentally grabbed a broken one..."

Hearing this, Zhang Xia felt a surge of anger in her chest.

The two were siblings. After graduating, they joined the same company and just happened to be assigned as a team.

They hadn't managed to dig up any good material in the half-year since they graduated, causing the chief editor to look at them with increasingly dangerous eyes over the past couple of days. The Lijia Village case had finally blown up, and she wanted to seize this trending topic...

Unexpectedly, their plan to arrive at the courthouse at twelve o'clock to snag a good spot had been delayed by Zhang Wang until now!

"You still have the nerve to speak!" Zhang Xia scolded angrily, though her pace didn't slow.

Zhang Wang wanted to argue, but his ears suddenly twitched. He instinctively stopped in his tracks and looked back.

When he clearly saw the vehicle approaching from behind, his pupils shrank slightly, and he blurted out:

"It's the transport van! The prison transport is here!"

Hearing this, Zhang Xia stopped walking and looked back.

A white police van slowly pulled into the courthouse's main gate. It was the dedicated vehicle used by bailiffs to transport prisoners!

The two watched the vehicle intently until it turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

"It should be transporting Wang Qiang. The timing is right," Zhang Wang whispered.

The arrival of the defendant meant that court was about to be in session!

Zhang Xia said nothing more. She turned around and quickly ran toward the main hall, breathing rapidly with a few strands of hair sticking to her sweaty forehead.

Stepping past the final stair, Zhang Xia entered the lobby.

Looking up, she saw a large, gold-and-red national emblem hanging high above the hall, invisibly exuding an aura of solemnity!

Zhang Xia's mood instinctively sobered. She quickly checked the directory for the corridors, and after identifying the correct path, hurried into it without hesitation.

The Lijia Village case was being heard in Courtroom One.

She took the elevator and passed through a quiet, chilly hallway.

Finally, Zhang Xia stopped at the closed main doors of the courtroom. Standing at the entrance, she could faintly hear the sounds coming from inside.

She took a deep breath, placed her hand on the handle, and pushed.

"Click."

The heavy doors yielded, opening a narrow crack.

Through the gap, she could see the very front of the courtroom. The highest tier belonged to the judges' bench, behind which stood three armchairs. A gavel rested on the desk, and a national emblem hung high on the wall behind it, majestic and upright.

She pushed a bit harder, widening the gap.

In the center below the bench was the enclosed defendant's dock, overlooked by the judges. To the left were the seats for the public prosecution, and to the right was the defense counsel's desk.

Since the trial hadn't started yet, these seats were entirely empty.

At the back was a large, tiered public gallery. At a rough glance, it had at least four hundred seats.

Right now, all four hundred-plus seats were occupied, with over four hundred people looking down at the trial area.

A slight murmur filled her ears as people whispered amongst themselves.

'Made it. The trial hasn't started yet!'

Zhang Xia let out a long sigh of relief. Looking up again, she saw a figure in the front row waving at her.

"Over here, over here."

Zhang Wang didn't follow her in; he stayed in the back to set up the camera while Zhang Xia hurried over.

The female reporter who had waved pointed to an empty seat.

"Hurry up. Do you know how many dirty looks I got saving a seat, let alone one in the first three rows?"

"You're always so careless. It's a good thing you called me. Next time I'm not here, let's see where you manage to sit!"

"Thank you, Sister Liu. I'll treat you to a meal later," she replied.

Zhang Xia's face reddened, but she hurriedly sat down. Placing her bag on her lap, she pulled out a pen and paper, then looked up at the trial area.

Aside from the completely packed gallery, the trial area was empty, making it look starkly desolate.

Seeing her look, Sister Liu leaned over in her chair and whispered into Zhang Xia's ear:

"There are still twenty minutes until court starts. The key players haven't arrived yet."

Sister Liu paused and sighed emotionally.

"This case has definitely stirred up a lot of public opinion. I didn't expect even Courtroom One to be short on seats. This place can hold at least five hundred people!"

"They even brought in the judges from the First Group of the Criminal First Division!"

Courtroom One was the largest courtroom in the Greenwood City Intermediate People's Court, yet there were still a bunch of people with nowhere to sit.

But as for the judges of the First Group of the Criminal First Division... Zhang Xia knew nothing about them.

"Sister Liu, what's the deal with the First Group judges?"

Zhang Xia asked quietly, glancing at the bench where the nameplates for Liu Jianguo, Zhang Bingxin, and Sun Dong were displayed.

Behind the three nameplates sat three empty armchairs.

"You just graduated, so it's normal that you don't know."

Sister Liu explained, "The judges in the First Group of the Criminal First Division are the most professional, impartial, and capable team of judges in the entire city."

"They exclusively handle major, crucial, and severe criminal cases!"

"Among them, Zhang Bingxin is the most prominent. He is the Chief Judge of the Criminal First Division, a high-ranking official at the deputy-director level in the Intermediate Court, and is famous for being strictly impartial and looking only at the evidence!"

Sister Liu paused and let out a sigh. "This man has a very stubborn temper. In the Lijia Village case, if the evidence is unfavorable to the defendant... there is a high probability he will just go strictly by the book!"

In other words... he would even ignore public opinion and forego his own 'discretionary power'?!

Zhang Xia looked at the nameplate bearing Zhang Bingxin's name at the middle armchair, and a sense of awe welled up in her heart.

A judge with that kind of unyielding character...

Wouldn't that just add fuel to the fire of this case?!

Just as Zhang Xia was thinking this, an abrupt sound echoed across the trial area below, and the crowd instantly fell silent.

"Creaaak."

The side door of the courtroom had been pushed open.

Several middle-aged men stood at the doorway. They wore black suits with white shirts, bright red ties, and red badges pinned to their chests.

The leading middle-aged man swept his gaze over the room without any change in expression. The moment he stepped forward, a powerful aura radiated from him.

He led his team to sit calmly at the public prosecution table, ignoring the hundreds of people behind him, and simply began organizing his materials.

"That is the team leader of the First Case Handling Group of the Second Prosecution Department, Hu Guang."

Sister Liu stared at Prosecutor Hu Guang and whispered, her eyes never leaving him, her tone serious:

"This guy is practically a case-handling machine. Just like Zhang Bingxin, he never mixes in personal emotions!"

"With these two presiding over the Lijia Village case... it's probably going to explode."

Two people who did everything strictly by the book, encountering a case dripping with human emotion—just thinking about it made one's scalp tingle!

After Hu Guang and his team took their seats, a few other people followed them in.

"See that? Sitting next to the public prosecution, in the civil plaintiff seats, are the victim's parents, Li Youcai and Liu Cui."

"Sitting in the victim's representative seat, the one wearing the suit is their legal agent, lawyer Chen Wei. This guy is a famous shyster in Greenwood City; he'll do anything as long as you pay him!" Sister Liu explained.

Zhang Xia followed her gaze and saw two elderly people with malicious expressions, muttering something under their breath.

Beside them was a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses who looked like a well-dressed beast. He was also organizing his documents, a smile hanging on his lips, but a trace of gloominess seeped from his eyes.

Not long after...

"The defendant and the defense are here!" Sister Liu suddenly blurted out.

Zhang Xia looked up and saw two stern, unsmiling bailiffs walking strictly toward the defendant's dock in the very center of the room.

Between them walked a man as thin as a rail, wearing a yellow vest. His eyes were muddy and dull, and his back was hunched.

This person was none other than Wang Qiang!

After taking his seat, he instinctively looked to his side.

There, a sharply dressed young man in a professional suit was slowly walking toward the defense counsel's desk.

Although he was young, his gaze was composed, and his expression showed no signs of nervousness. After sitting down, he merely sorted through his materials.

Looking at him, the gallery suddenly broke into whispers.

Sister Liu frowned and clicked her tongue. "The defense lawyer is named Xu De, from Jinmao Law Firm. He doesn't have a single criminal case on his resume yet; he's a rookie lawyer."

"A rookie lawyer?!"

Zhang Xia was somewhat stunned. Her pen stopped moving as she looked up at the defense in disbelief.

The defense consisted solely of Xu De, making their side look incredibly bare.

She then looked at the prosecution across the room.

Prosecutors Hu Guang, Wang Wei, and Zhang Qing...

The victim's legal agent, the notorious shyster Chen Wei...

Serving as both witnesses and civil plaintiffs, Li Youcai and Liu Cui...

This gap...

It was far too huge!

The disparity in their lineups was obvious. Most of the people in the gallery looked extremely surprised, bursting into hushed discussions as their gazes bounced back and forth between the two sides.

Zhang Xia's mind was also in a whirl, not knowing what to say.

Until...

"All rise!" the clerk suddenly called out.

The moment his voice dropped!

"Click!"

Several figures wearing long robes slowly walked out from the corridor.

The three individuals had calm, solemn faces. Their gazes were sharp and steady, without a hint of a smile. The moment they appeared, an invisible majesty instantly rolled over the room, and the entire gallery of over four hundred people fell completely silent.

It was the three judges adjudicating the case!

The lead judge, Zhang Bingxin, walked with steady steps toward the bench and sat at the focal point of the entire room: the high platform of the court, in the Chief Judge's seat!

After the three sat down, the clerk read out a few statements.

Sitting in the central seat, Chief Judge Zhang Bingxin suddenly raised his head. He swept his gaze across the room, taking in everyone in every seat, and then...

He picked up the gavel with his right hand and raised it high.

"Bang!"

The gavel fell with a sharp crack, followed immediately by a voice that resonated like a grand bell throughout Courtroom One.

"This case is regarding the murder of Li Erniu, a villager from Lijia Village, Yangcheng County, Greenwood City, Qingwu Province!"

As the voice echoed, an invisible aura seemed to radiate from Zhang Bingxin, who sat upright at the judge's bench, sweeping across the courtroom.

Inside Courtroom One, everyone held their breath. Their eyes fixed on Zhang Bingxin in the center, listening quietly.

"This case is brought forward by the public prosecution organ, the Greenwood City Intermediate People's Procuratorate, charging the defendant, Wang Qiang, with the Crime of Intentional Homicide, filed with this court on October 10, 2002."

"In accordance with relevant regulations, the First Criminal Trial Division of the Greenwood City Intermediate People's Court is conducting a public trial."

"This case will be presided over by Judge Zhang Bingxin as the presiding judge, with the clerk..."

"The court is now in session!"

The court... the court was in session!

The moment those words fell, the hearts of the hundreds of people present jolted in unison.

Down below, in the public gallery, Zhang Xia's expression tightened. She quickly pulled out a pen and paper to take notes.

She wasn't the only one; the others were equally shaken, their emotions churning like stormy seas.

'The Crime of Intentional Homicide? The prosecutor is actually pressing charges for intentional homicide!'

'That is the gravest of all felonies...'

'Searching for his daughter for ten years, fighting back and accidentally killing the buyer to save her, only to be charged with intentional homicide by the procuratorate... I wouldn't even dare say it, let alone do it!'

'...'

Whispers rustled through the public gallery as people lowered their heads, clicking their tongues in disbelief.

Even though the bulletin board outside had announced the charges against Wang Qiang in advance, hearing the judge state it out loud still left the crowd stunned!

If something like this was published in the newspapers... they couldn't even imagine how explosive the public outcry would be!

At the prosecution's bench.

Prosecutor Hu Guang showed no trace of emotion. His gaze was sharp, like a machine devoid of feelings.

In contrast, the lawyer beside him, Chen Wei, turned slightly to cast a reassuring glance at Li Youcai and Liu Cui seated behind him.

Then, he shifted his eyes to Xu De, a playful glint flashing in his gaze.

"Heh, once intentional homicide is broken down and judged... this charge won't be so easy to dodge!"

A single charge could often be established through a variety of angles.

The same applied to intentional homicide, which could be divided into several types of "intent." No matter how you looked at it, Wang Qiang was bound to fit into one of them!

"I'd like to see how you defend this!" Chen Wei stared at Xu De across the room, a cold sneer appearing on his face.

Meanwhile, in the center of the courtroom, at the judge's bench on the high platform symbolizing justice.

Bang!

The gavel fell, and all noise in the room abruptly ceased.

Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin, his gaze seemingly capable of piercing through people's hearts, looked toward the prosecution's bench and slowly spoke.

"The prosecution may now read the indictment."

At the defendant's stand, seated in a chair surrounded by a railing, Wang Qiang tightened his iron-chained hands.

Prosecutor Hu Guang took a deep breath.

Holding a document, he slowly stood up and began to speak:

"Respected presiding judge, judges."

"The defendant, Wang Qiang, aged 52, born on April 17, 1950, was arrested on October 2, 2002, on suspicion of the Crime of Intentional Homicide."

"Through examination by this procuratorate, it has been ascertained that the defendant Wang Qiang's daughter was illegally controlled, imprisoned, and raped by the victim. Consequently, the defendant became excessively emotional and initiated a conflict with the victim."

"Subsequently, the defendant Wang Qiang took the initiative to commit violent acts against the victim, Li Erniu, and later used a lethal weapon, resulting in the victim's death on the spot!"

Hu Guang paused. His brows furrowed, and his tone grew stern.

He lifted his head slightly, his eyes crossing the distance to stare fixedly at Wang Qiang's frail figure.

A moment later, his resonant voice rang out!

"His actions have violated Article 232 of the Criminal Law of Dongguo, constituting the Crime of Intentional Homicide. The facts of the crime are clear, and the evidence is reliable and sufficient!"

"This procuratorate initiates public prosecution in accordance with the law and requests the court to sentence the defendant accordingly!"

His logic was meticulous and complete.

Every word felt like a heavy boulder pressing down on Wang Qiang's chest, suffocating him. He clenched his handcuffed hands tighter and tighter.

At the judge's bench, Zhang Bingxin nodded.

The trafficking case and the ensuing murder were inextricably linked, but in a trial setting, this could not completely absolve Wang Qiang; at most, it could only mitigate the sentence slightly.

"Will the 'legal representative of the victim' please present your opinion on this case."

Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin turned his serious gaze toward the prosecution's bench, landing on the lawyer, Chen Wei.

Prompted by his words, the dark mass of hundreds of people all turned their heads to look in that direction.

Chen Wei took a deep breath.

He stood up, scanned the expansive Courtroom One, then glanced at Xu De with a sinister smile.

"Respected presiding judge, judges, and members of the jury."

"I am the legal representative for the victim's incidental civil lawsuit, lawyer Chen Wei. Based on the circumstances of today's trial, I will now present the following opinion regarding the civil compensation portion of this case."

"The defendant Wang Qiang's act of intentional homicide is the direct and sole cause of the victim's death. According to the law, he should bear full civil compensation liability!"

Chen Wei suddenly shifted his tone, his loud voice echoing in everyone's ears.

"Presiding judge, here is the complete documentation regarding the financial situation of my client's family."

He held up a stack of documents and handed them to the clerk beside him.

"According to the clear provisions of the Civil Code of the People of Dongguo, the defendant should provide a death compensation of 49,700 yuan!"

"He must also compensate for maintenance costs. The victim's parents—father Li Youcai, 61, and mother Liu Cui, 61—are rural residents with no pension, no source of income, and no ability to work."

"The victim had no siblings."

"According to regulations, maintenance costs of 64,600 yuan should be compensated!"

"As well as covering the victim's funeral expenses of 4,043 yuan, along with transportation, accommodation, and medical expenses totaling 1,762 yuan..."

"Furthermore, since the elderly couple has no other children, have lost the support they needed for their twilight years, and are suffering immense mental anguish, my clients demand an additional compensation of 100,000 yuan, bringing the total to..."

Chen Wei paused. A second later, he spat out a number that shocked everyone present.

"218,343 yuan!"

Nearly 220,000?!

Paying 220,000 for a dead person? Was it a lot? It didn't sound like much.

But this was 2002!

In these times, the monthly income of a rural migrant worker was less than eight hundred yuan, and even eight hundred was something only highly skilled workers could earn!

How long would it take a migrant worker, saving every penny without eating or drinking, to amass 220,000 yuan?

272 months.

A full 22, nearly 23 years!!!

"220,000?! The family must be crazy. You wouldn't even pay that much if a normal person died. How dare they ask for 220,000 for a dead human trafficker?!"

In the public gallery, even reporters accustomed to grand spectacles couldn't help but look utterly astonished.

The public gallery, originally quieted by the start of the trial and a sense of decorum, now broke into a slight commotion and whispering, despite the national emblem hanging high above their heads.

"220,000? Why doesn't he just go rob a bank!"

"Shameless... shameless! Unbelievably shameless! They're bandits!"

"Where do they get the nerve to ask for that?!"

"That blatant shyster! The additional compensation was definitely something he actively cooked up for Li Youcai and Liu Cui. That bastard, that animal..."

"..."

Reporter Zhang Xia stopped writing. She looked up, her expression dreadful as she glared at the nonchalant Chen Wei.

It was obvious.

The lawyer had definitely had an unpleasant exchange with the defense, so he deliberately demanded 220,000 in compensation in court just to vent his anger!

But...

This money would have to be paid by Wang Qiang and Xu Hong!

Zhang Xia gritted her teeth. She glanced at the emaciated Wang Qiang—barely a meter and sixty centimeters tall, so thin he couldn't even fill out his prison uniform as he sat in the chair. Her emotions were like a churning sea.

"Bastard!" she cursed in a low voice, unable to hold it in.

Compared to the commotion in the public gallery, the order of the court remained unshaken, though it did cause a few people's expressions to change slightly.

Sitting in their chairs, Li Youcai and Liu Cui breathed heavily upon hearing the amount. Their eyes shone brightly, revealing an impatient look of greed. They were visibly thrilled.

Prosecutor Hu Guang frowned slightly. He cast a sidelong glance at Chen Wei but said nothing.

Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin frowned deeply. After a moment, he spoke up:

"Are the victim's parents present in court?"

Off to the side, the eyes of Li Youcai and Liu Cui lit up. The excitement on their faces immediately vanished as they quickly replied, "We're here, we're here!"

As if realizing their earlier excitement was inappropriate, they immediately put on a different expression. Liu Cui lowered her head and choked back tears, letting out a sob from time to time.

Zhang Bingxin remained entirely unmoved. He pondered for a long moment before asking,

"Plaintiffs, does what your legal representative just stated align with the facts?"

Li Youcai choked back tears. Sitting in his chair and wiping his eyes, he said,

"It is exactly as Lawyer Chen said."

"I was almost forty before I had my son. It took so much hard work farming to raise him, and just when he finally took a wife and had a child, ready to show us filial piety and care for us in our old age..."

"This kind of tragedy just had to happen!"

Liu Cui suddenly chimed in from the side:

"Our family raised that ungrateful wretch for ten years, and this is how she repays us... Ten whole years!"

"Eating our food, drinking our water, spending so much money over those ten-plus years. Even if she didn't want to repay our kindness, she colluded with outsiders to kill my son... There's no justice, no justice! You have to uphold justice for us!"

With that, she began to wail and sob loudly, tears streaming down her face.

Her wailing echoed throughout the courtroom.

However, the crowd gradually felt a sense of stifling irritation in their chests. As her crying went on, their frowns deepened.

A moment later, a wave of helplessness washed over them, and they sighed.

If the person killed had been a real human trafficker, there would be room to maneuver, and no amount of crying from Li Youcai and Liu Cui would have mattered.

But the victim wasn't legally considered a 'human trafficker', and wouldn't be defined as such in court!

Under the law, his offense was only a misdemeanor!!!

Although it was hard to believe, the victim, Li Erniu, had only committed a misdemeanor, and Wang Qiang had killed someone guilty of a mere misdemeanor.

Because of this, the fact that he was killed over a minor offense naturally allowed his family to demand compensation—even a massive payout!

But...

"Two hundred and twenty thousand..."

Someone muttered under their breath. Before long, the courtroom fell silent, leaving only a few faint sobs.

Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin exhaled deeply. With furrowed brows, he finally focused his gaze on the defense's side—the defendant's bench!

At the long defense table, a young man in a neat suit sat with his back perfectly straight.

"Defense, in response to the statements made by the prosecution, the victim's legal representative, and the plaintiffs..."

Zhang Bingxin looked down at Xu De and asked, "Do you have any objections?"

The moment those words hung in the air, the restless courtroom fell silent. Hundreds of people turned their heads in unison, focusing on Xu De, the sole figure at the defense bench.

It was quiet.

Deathly quiet.

Xu De slowly stood up. He glanced around, his expression completely neutral.

"Respected presiding judge, jurors. Regarding what the opposing parties have just stated..."

"The prosecution's claims are unsupported by any corroborating evidence and cannot be established! Their statements do not match the facts of this case! The court should not accept them; they are entirely baseless!"

"The victim's legal representative has engaged in exaggeration and subjective conjecture, completely deviating from objective facts!"

"Both parties' statements lack evidentiary support. They are purely subjective assumptions that do not align with reality and should be dismissed!"

"The truth is..."

Xu De paused slightly.

Then, his resonant voice rang out with absolute certainty.

"My client, the defendant Wang Qiang, never proactively committed murder at any point."

"The so-called murder was merely an act of acting bravely for a just cause. Forced by the situation, it was an action he had no choice but to take in order to protect the seven police officers present from harm!"

Judge's bench: ?

Public gallery: ?

At the prosecution's bench, Prosecutor Hu Guang, who had been deep in thought, froze. He raised his head and stared blankly at Xu De.

What... what the hell?

Protecting the police?

What did he mean, the 1.6-meter-tall, emaciated Wang Qiang was protecting the police at the scene?

As Xu De's words faded...

"Wait, defense attorney."

It was a rare occurrence.

From the judge's bench, Zhang Bingxin suddenly interrupted Xu De.

In principle, neither side was allowed to interrupt the other during their presentations, but he chose to do it anyway.

Zhang Bingxin felt as if he were getting old and his ears were failing him.

He stared blankly at Xu De, as if seeking confirmation, and spoke with a hint of hesitation.

"Are you saying... the defendant's actions at the time of the incident... were to protect others? Not to protect his daughter, but the police?"

At the defense table.

Xu De paused his presentation. He looked at Zhang Bingxin and replied without the slightest psychological burden,

"Yes and no. I haven't finished speaking yet, but generally speaking, yes."

"The defense argues that the defendant, Wang Qiang, exhibited the behavior and nature of acting bravely for a just cause. This absolutely does not constitute the Crime of Intentional Homicide as alleged in the prosecution's indictment!"

Zhang Bingxin pressed further.

"So, your side believes the defendant was acting bravely for a just cause, protecting seven police officers, and one of them was even armed?"

Xu De calmly replied once again.

"Yes, presiding judge."

Zhang Bingxin was speechless.

He was utterly stunned.

Not only him, but even the other two judges on the bench, Liu Jianguo and Sun Dong, froze in place.

The same was true at the prosecution table. The prosecutors exchanged glances for a long time, while Chen Wei frowned, completely bewildered by what Xu De was plotting.

After a long while.

Zhang Bingxin looked at Xu De. With his brow slightly furrowed and his attitude clearly much more serious, he said,

"Defense attorney, please continue."

"Understood."

Xu De nodded, paused briefly, and then picked up right where he left off.

"Respected presiding judge and jury members."

"According to the information, the defendant, Wang Qiang, went to Lijia Village on October 2nd, resulting in the death of Li Erniu."

"However, we cannot only look at Wang Qiang and Li Erniu in this incident!"

"Prosecution, may I ask who else was present at the scene during the incident, besides the deceased and the defendant!?"

The moment his words fell,

the crisp sound of a gavel echoed through the room.

"Bang!"

Zhang Bingxin picked up his gavel and lightly rapped it on the desk.

"We are now in the investigation phase. Prosecution, please answer the question."

At the prosecution table.

"What... what the hell is this lawyer doing?" Prosecutor Wang Wei frowned, turning to glance at Hu Guang, completely lost as to what the opposing counsel was up to.

Acting bravely for a just cause?

Let alone the reporters and bystanders in the gallery, even those from the Intermediate Prosecutor's Office nearly failed to process it!

He had lived for over forty years.

This was the very first time he had ever heard that getting red in the face, throwing the first punch, and subsequently killing someone could be considered acting bravely for a just cause!

Did this lawyer even know what he was saying?!

"Let's wait and see,"

Prosecutor Hu Guang replied with a frown. He then looked at Xu De and responded loudly,

"They can generally be divided into six categories."

"The police, the victim of the trafficking case, the defendant, the deceased, the family of the deceased, and the villagers of Lijia Village."

Hearing this,

Xu De nodded from the defense table and continued.

"Correct, a total of six categories of people. Let's set that aside for a moment."

"Then, I would like to ask the opposing counsel once more, under what circumstances is the Crime of Intentional Homicide, as stated in the indictment, constituted?"

This sort of thing might be difficult for an ordinary person to articulate clearly.

But not a single person present was a pushover!

Hu Guang answered,

"According to the explicit provisions of Article 14 of the Criminal Code, the original text states: An intentional crime is an act committed by a person who clearly knows that their action will produce socially harmful consequences, and who wishes or allows such consequences to occur, thereby constituting a crime!"

"This includes direct intent, indirect intent, and negligence."

At this point,

Hu Guang raised the document in his hand and pointed to the text on it.

"Regarding this case, the defendant, Wang Qiang, clearly knew that his proactive actions would cause the conflict between the two parties to erupt and result in casualties, yet he still did not stop."

"This subsequently led to the death of the victim, Li Erniu."

"Therefore, the defendant, Wang Qiang, fits the criteria of Article 14, indirect intentional homicide!"

Intentional homicide was also categorized. It was not just when you hated someone and took a knife to kill them that it counted as intentional homicide.

For example: 'I know this might kill someone, but I don't care, if they die, they die. I neither hope for it nor prevent it, and I accept the result if it happens.' This was also considered intentional homicide.

Wang Qiang's actions could be considered either direct or indirect. Connecting the testimony with the evidence, Hu Guang believed he fell into the latter category.

"Defense, do you have any further opinions to express?"

Hu Guang crossed his hands on the desk, leaned his upper body forward, and stared at him with a frown.

Upon hearing this,

Xu De seized the moment. He took a deep breath and declared,

"Prosecution, everything you just stated..."

"Is completely inconsistent with the facts!"

Inconsistent with the facts?

This was no joke. To a prosecutor, it practically bordered on a personal attack!

A look of anger had just begun to surface on Hu Guang's face.

But the opposing counsel did not give him a chance to speak.

Xu De suddenly turned his gaze to everyone present and proclaimed loudly,

"According to the prosecution, the defendant, Wang Qiang, became emotionally agitated due to the conflict over the trafficking. This led to hostility, and he threw the first punch, resulting in death."

"But..."

"According to the clues, the one who struck first was clearly the deceased, Li Erniu!"

The moment these words fell,

everyone at the scene was momentarily stunned. A second later, astonishment appeared on their faces, and a slight commotion rippled through the gallery.

"That doesn't seem right. Although I sympathize with the defendant... based on the information provided by the police, didn't the victim just get into the car and pull at the defendant's family member?"

"There was no extreme behavior, no verbal provocation..."

"Man... I really don't understand this lawyer."

"..."

Someone in the audience raised a hand to scratch their head, staring at Xu De for a long time without making heads or tails of his words.

Let alone the bystanders.

Even Hu Guang, Wang Wei, and the others facing him directly were frowning, clueless as to what tricks he was playing.

'Judging by his logical reasoning, this lawyer is definitely not some clueless greenhorn. In that case...'

'What exactly does he mean by these words? What is his purpose in saying this!?'

Hu Guang stared fixedly at Xu De, as if trying to see through his inner thoughts.

Presiding judge Zhang Bingxin was also dumbfounded for a long moment before he finally spoke with hesitation,

"Defense attorney, please elaborate on your previous statement."

Xu De nodded, a faint smile finally gracing his face.

Immediately after,

a rapid string of words echoed in the ears of the over four hundred people in Courtroom One.

"I ask the opposing counsel, prior to the fatal incident, regarding the other personnel present at the scene—namely the six categories of people I inquired about earlier:"

"The police, the trafficking victim, the family of the deceased, the villagers of Lijia Village..."

"What kind of relationship did these four categories of people hold toward each other?"

Xu De did not wait for anyone else to provide the answer; he immediately blurted it out.

"It was a standoff!"

"It was an illegal and criminal act where over forty people—including the two family members present at this trial—brandished weapons and forcibly besieged seven police officers and the trafficking victim, posing a severe threat to their personal safety!"

"And our defendant."

"Under such circumstances, in order to protect the people's police, our defendant was the very first to step in front of the crowd and fight against all the lawbreakers!!!"

Courtroom One, the largest courtroom in Greenwood City, fell deathly silent.

Over four hundred people stared with their mouths agape at the impassioned lawyer.

"In summary, according to Article Two of the Greenwood City Regulations on Rewarding and Protecting Individuals Acting Bravely for a Just Cause..."

Xu De declared,

"Our defendant was, in fact, acting bravely for a just cause!"

Prosecutor Hu Guang was speechless.

Presiding judge Zhang Bingxin was speechless.

The entire gallery was speechless.

As his voice faded, the entire courtroom descended into silence.

Words carry weight.

But...

The weight of his words was far too heavy!

The moment the defense attorney, Xu De, finished speaking, Courtroom One, despite holding over four hundred people, fell so silent that everyone could hear each other's heartbeats.

Everyone's minds short-circuited. They looked up, staring blankly at him, their heads completely empty.

They could understand the conflict, and that the two sides were at a standoff.

Based on that situation, it made sense for the defense attorney to push hard for a plea of legitimate self-defense or accidental death.

But... what did he mean by acting bravely for a just cause!?

At the defendant's seat.

Wang Qiang, who had been keeping his head down as he awaited judgment, also looked up. He stared at Xu De with a stunned expression, his mind equally blank.

'I... I was acting bravely for a just cause?'

"Honorable presiding judge, my client categorically rejects the charges leveled by the public prosecution."

"Furthermore, the victim's legal representative has absolutely no basis for their exorbitant demands. We will never agree to such extortionate claims!"

Having said his piece, Xu De felt a surge of relief in his chest as he slowly sat back down.

"The defense rests."

At the judge's bench.

A hint of astonishment appeared on Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin's stern face. He stared at Xu De for a long time before realizing that what he had just heard wasn't a hallucination.

Only then did he hesitantly look toward the public prosecution.

"Public prosecution, do you have any dissenting opinions regarding the defense's statement?"

Truthfully, this question was completely redundant.

As long as the person sitting in the prosecutor's chair was a human being, there was no way they wouldn't be anxious after hearing Xu De's angle.

Sure enough.

The moment those words fell, before Prosecutor Hu Guang could even speak, the victim's legal representative, Chen Wei, was already seeing red.

"Absurd! This is absolutely absurd!"

"Presiding judge, this is clearly a crime of passion triggered by the defendant's extreme emotional distress over the trafficking incident!"

On the side of the prosecution bench, blood rushed to Chen Wei's head, his face flushing crimson.

His tone was urgent, and he felt a spike in his blood pressure. He fixed his eyes on Xu De and roared:

"This so-called acting bravely for a just cause is completely preposterous! It's pure sophistry!"

Chen Wei had anticipated that the opposing counsel would fiercely question the prosecution, and he had even expected them to play the sympathy card.

But he never imagined that Xu De's opening statement would be so terrifying!

Acting bravely for a just cause?

If this was actually established, forget about compensation... Li Youcai and Liu Cui would be lucky if they didn't have to pay out of their own pockets!

Chen Wei slammed both hands on the table and demanded sharply, "I request that the opposing counsel's argument be dismissed!"

At the defense table, Xu De remained expressionless, refusing to yield an inch.

"Please present evidence to refute my claim!"

"You!"

Chen Wei felt a fresh surge of anger and was just about to retort.

Fortunately, Prosecutor Hu Guang noticed the situation deteriorating and immediately interrupted him.

"Opposing counsel."

"Are you aware that the essence of acting bravely for a just cause is to protect oneself or others by stopping an ongoing unlawful infringement?"

Hu Guang's eyes were dark, his tone carrying a heavy sense of oppression.

"According to the case file, during the course of the murder, the victim never initiated any unlawful infringement."

"It was the defendant who actively, prematurely, and emotionally instigated the conflict in the vehicle!"

The most crucial point of acting bravely for a just cause was that there must be an unlawful infringement.

It could be a fist, or it could be a knife, but no matter what, it had to exist and be present!

So-called 'suspicions' or 'beliefs' were purely attempts at exculpation driven by a bandit's logic.

"When the conflict escalated, no one at the scene faced any personal danger because of the victim!"

Hu Guang shook his head, stating nothing but the facts.

"The so-called danger entirely originated from the villagers at the scene and had nothing to do with the victim personally."

The danger came from the villagers, yet Wang Qiang had killed Li Erniu. This was obviously not legitimate self-defense, let alone acting bravely for a just cause.

However...

"Public prosecution."

"You claim the danger originated from the villagers, so I must ask..."

Xu De furrowed his brows. He took a deep breath, a hint of gunpowder slowly creeping into his tone.

"Why would the villagers endanger the seven police officers present at the scene!?"

Before the other side could even formulate an explanation, he pressed on.

"It was because of the trafficking case!"

"In other words, the root cause of the threat to the personal safety of the police and the defendant was the trafficking case!"

"And the central offender of that trafficking case was the deceased, Li Erniu."

"To summarize, we can definitively conclude: the villagers of Lijia Village and Li Erniu came into conflict with the police because of the trafficking case. To protect the police and the others present, the defendant, Wang Qiang, engaged in a struggle with the criminal, Li Erniu!"

"Ultimately, Li Erniu's attempted intentional murder inadvertently led to his own death, while my client acted in legitimate self-defense."

As soon as those words were spoken, the crowd finally grasped his meaning.

"That... actually seems to make sense."

"Hold on, my brain is still a little twisted. Wait a minute..."

"Why are they frowning over at the public prosecution's side? What are those prosecutors whispering about?"

"..."

In the public gallery.

The spectators widened their eyes, lowering their heads to whisper among themselves.

Even the reporter, Zhang Xia, put down her pen and paper to join the discussion.

"Sister Liu, why do I feel like something is off..."

Sister Liu, sitting beside her: ...

What a joke. Did she, a veteran reporter with over ten years of experience, really need to be asked if it felt off!?

"The case hasn't been concluded yet. Let's keep watching," Sister Liu said, shaking her head.

...

"What kind of nonsense is this kid spewing!?"

At the prosecution bench.

Prosecutor Wang Wei wore an expression like he had just seen a ghost. He stared at Xu De, then couldn't resist turning to Hu Guang.

"Doesn't he know that fulfilling a personal obligation doesn't constitute acting bravely for a just cause?"

Wang Qiang and Wang Mei were father and daughter.

From a legal standpoint, Wang Qiang protecting Wang Mei was an expectation. Even if he indirectly protected the others, the obligation was the primary factor, so it did not constitute an act of bravery for a just cause.

Could Xu De possibly be unaware of this rule!?

'This young man...'

Hu Guang furrowed his brow. He couldn't shake the feeling that Xu De's true objective lay elsewhere.

But if the opposing counsel never actually intended to fight for 'acting bravely for a just cause'... then why did he bring those words up?

Was he trying to...

In a daze, it felt as though a jolt of electricity raced through his mind.

Hu Guang's eyes widened, his pupils slightly contracting as a possibility surfaced in his brain!

He was just about to speak, but unexpectedly...

"Defense attorney, from a legal standpoint, Wang Qiang's protection of Wang Mei is an obligation, something he is supposed to do, not this so-called acting bravely for a just cause!"

"Therefore, although a coercive relationship existed at the crime scene, it has nothing to do with acting bravely for a just cause. At the same time, this coercion has absolutely no relation to the deceased, Li Erniu!"

Beside him.

When the victim's legal representative, Chen Wei, noticed that the prosecutor showed no intention of speaking, he stood up. His face was stern, his sharp eyes locked tightly onto Xu De.

"What you have stated completely fails to meet the criteria of Article 183 of the Civil Code!"

When those words landed, Hu Guang closed his eyes, his heart skipping a beat.

'Damn it, we fell for it...'

Fell for it... Chen Wei had been played. Or rather, the opposing counsel, that lone, audacious young man, had played the entire prosecution bench!

Why say that?

Because...

"So, what you are saying is that the defendant, Wang Qiang, does not meet the criteria for 'acting bravely for a just cause,' but..."

Almost the instant the other man's voice dropped, Xu De seized the opening. He let out a deep breath, a relaxed smile spreading across his face as he looked mildly at the opposing counsel.

"But you do not deny that when the conflict occurred, the danger faced by the police and others all stemmed from the trafficking case, correct?"

At this point, Xu De paused. He gave the more than four hundred people present zero time to react. Instantly, his expression changed, becoming solemn and grave. His tone was sonorous, his voice echoing throughout the entirety of Courtroom One.

"Honorable presiding judge."

"The facts of the case are now abundantly clear!"

"Through the evidence provided by the police, the danger felt by the officers at the time of the incident clearly demonstrates that the trafficking case involving the deceased, Li Erniu, had not yet ended!"

"Therefore, the opposing party's illegal act of imprisoning Wang Qiang's daughter, the victim Wang Mei, for ten long years had also not ended!"

"I would like to ask everyone seated here, especially the public prosecution..."

"Does this ten-year-long imprisonment and abuse count as initiating violence? Does it count as a threat to Wang Mei's personal safety!?"

At this moment, Xu De's dagger was revealed at the end of the scroll, entirely exposing his true intentions.

The case... could not be split into two!

If they only looked at Wang Qiang and Li Erniu, then it was a pure crime of passion, falling under the category of intentional homicide. If he argued down that path, it would be certain death!

Therefore, he only had one goal.

Consolidate the case facts, shifting the starting point of this trial from Wang Qiang committing murder to Li Erniu purchasing a human being!

First, use 'acting bravely for a just cause' to draw their attention, secretly gambling that the opposing side would overlook the detail of 'the villagers coercing the police due to the trafficking.'

As long as they overlooked it and subconsciously agreed...

Then he could perfectly ride that momentum to definitively conclude that the trafficking case had not ended!

And as long as the trafficking case was still ongoing at the time of the killing, Wang Qiang had a valid cause. There was no intentional homicide. The only one who could have initiated the violence was Li Erniu. As for the exact moment the opposing party initiated that violence...

It was the moment he imprisoned Wang Mei ten years ago!!!

Consequently, the moment those words fell, everyone in the entire courtroom gradually fell into a state of shock, their hearts leaping into their throats!

"Let me ask you."

"In this trafficking case."

"A father first has his daughter stolen, and then the daughter is imprisoned and tortured for ten years. When resisting under such circumstances, does this count as fulfilling a statutory obligation through legitimate self-defense, or..."

Saying this, Xu De paused. He reached out and slammed both hands forcefully onto the table. The

Bang! Bang!

sound echoed throughout the courtroom like war drums or rolling thunder, shaking the eardrums of everyone present until they went numb!

He then spat out two terrifying words!

"Intentional homicide!?"

Suddenly, the two words were like a violent gale, sweeping outward with him at the epicenter.

Everyone in the gallery widened their eyes, their hearts pounding wildly!

Why did the Wang Qiang case deter countless lawyers?

The reason lay in the fact that the human trafficking case and the murder case were treated as two separate incidents!

Regarding the murder case, if counted from the moment Wang Qiang initiated the attack, he could not escape the charge of intentional homicide no matter what. It would be a guaranteed exercise in futility that would only damage a lawyer's win rate and reputation, so naturally, no one was willing to take it.

However, if viewed as a single case, starting from when Li Erniu imprisoned Wang Mei ten years ago...

Then there would be room to maneuver!

Therefore.

After a series of rigorously logical arguments fell, the courtroom was plunged into momentary silence.

A moment later.

Murmurs gradually erupted from the public gallery.

"This... No matter how you look at it, this isn't intentional homicide. From this perspective... it's clearly legitimate self-defense, or at most, excessive defense!"

"Indeed. Although Li Erniu didn't make a move at the time, if the imprisonment hadn't stopped... then the so-called 'imprisonment' already constitutes an unlawful infringement."

"Which law firm is the defense lawyer from? This... Is this guy here to give a speech?!"

"His aura is too strong... Which firm is he from!?"

"......"

The people in the gallery only needed a moment of thought to immediately understand Xu De's point.

It was nothing more than returning to the perspective of the general public!

On the judges' bench.

"Should... should we contact the police about this?"

Judge Liu Jianguo felt a bit shaken. After taking a deep breath to steady his emotions, he turned sideways and asked Zhang Bingxin.

Sun Dong chimed in, "Do you think there might be some misunderstanding in the information?"

Liu Jianguo shook his head. "I don't know."

Zhang Bingxin pondered for a long time without rushing to answer. Instead, he looked up at the ongoing confrontation between Xu De and the prosecution. "There is no rush," he said. "Let's keep watching."

The two nodded, turning their attention back to the proceedings.

During the trial.

"Using the human trafficking case as the starting point to try Wang Qiang's murder case!?"

On the prosecution's side, Wang Wei's expression suddenly turned grave. His years of experience allowed him to keenly sense the defense's intentions.

If that were the case... then their current indictment would be overturned!

Prosecutor Zhang Qing also frowned and nodded. Although young, things had escalated to this point, and he naturally knew what was happening.

As for the shrewd Chen Wei...

When he realized he had been tricked and had fallen into the trap the other party had laid in advance...

"Slander! Fabrications out of thin air!"

Chen Wei's pupils abruptly shrank. As if every cell in his body were urging him on, he jumped to his feet, pointed at Xu De, and shouted, "Presiding judge, my side has never admitted that the human trafficking case hasn't concluded!"

"The opposing lawyer is fabricating testimony! I request that he be expelled from the courtroom!"

He had fallen for it...

At that moment, Chen Wei felt his undershirt soaked with sweat. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and even his breathing grew ragged.

He had actually been outsmarted by a greenhorn!

The foundation for discussing whether acting bravely for a just cause was established rested on admitting the mutual confrontation between the police and the civilians at the scene.

Once that confrontation was confirmed to exist, the trafficking case was not yet over, and whatever happened between Wang Qiang and the deceased would be counted as part of the trafficking case!

The opponent used 'acting bravely for a just cause' as a distraction, making him overlook this crucial step!!!

'Damn it, damn Sun Hao!'

'Is this the guy you claimed had only been a full-time lawyer for three months? The Jinmao Law Firm set me up!'

Chen Wei cursed furiously in his heart, having entirely lost his composure from the start of the trial.

He saw it now. Sun Hao had colluded with this lawyer to set a trap for him!

Pretending to sell him out, but in reality, making him lower his guard. At the start of the trial, he had underestimated his opponent with a contemptuous attitude, seamlessly falling right into Xu De's trap. This tactic...

'Sun Hao, this isn't over!!!'

Chen Wei was furious, wishing he could skin the man alive.

But clearly, there wouldn't be an opportunity for that at present. He needed to continue paying the price for his mistake.

Sure enough.

A cold sneer immediately came from the defense.

"Heh, representative for the victim, do you need me to repeat what you just said to the presiding judge!?"

Xu De sneered, his eyes locked onto the man.

If the biggest variable for the defense in this case was himself, then for the prosecution, it was Chen Wei!

Why?

Because Hu Guang and the others acted according to the rules and the law.

But Chen Wei simply wanted Wang Qiang and him dead!!!

"You!" Chen Wei's blood boiled, the veins on his forehead bulging, yet he couldn't utter a single word.

In court, one had to be responsible for their words.

Since he had just admitted to the coercive relationship, retracting it now would be going back on his word, highly likely affecting the judge's discretionary power!

"Heh."

Seeing that the other party didn't continue pressing the issue, Xu De couldn't be bothered to keep targeting him.

His gaze flickered, sweeping across everyone in the courtroom before finally focusing on the presiding judge, Zhang Bingxin. "Presiding judge, my side insists on our stance," he continued. "During the time of the incident, the 'human trafficking case' had not concluded."

Almost seamlessly,

The moment his voice faded, a voice came from the prosecution.

"Defense, according to the clues provided by the police,"

"During the incident, the victim in the human trafficking case, Wang Mei, had already boarded the vehicle and was protected by seven police officers. No riot occurred at the scene, and there was no risk of continued confrontation."

Prosecutor Wang Wei stood up, his deep voice carrying over.

"Therefore, according to relevant laws and regulations, the arrest operation for the human trafficking case had already ended at that point!"

"The cause of the subsequent riot was not human trafficking, but the conflict between the defendant, Wang Qiang, and Li Erniu!"

Exactly. This was the main reason why they believed the case needed to be split into two.

The cause of the subsequent riot and the preceding confrontation were completely different.

Only...

"Absurd!"

Xu De did not give the prosecutor any face. He narrowed his eyes, shot a cold glare at Wang Wei, and shouted,

"Whether a case has concluded isn't for outsiders to say, but depends on what the parties involved do!"

"The fact is that the criminal, Li Erniu, still harbored evil intentions after boarding the vehicle, vainly attempting to continue inflicting unlawful harm upon the victim, Wang Mei!"

As he spoke,

he didn't hesitate, immediately holding up a document in his hand.

"Presiding judge, this is the evidence submitted by the prosecution."

"The evidence is the testimony of seven police officers. Among them, all seven uniformly stated that 'after the deceased Li Erniu boarded the vehicle, he grabbed the victim Wang Mei's hand, intending to drag her out.'"

"It is obvious from this testimony that the victim was still in potential danger and was not in a rescued state!"

"By the same logic, this illegal imprisonment had not concluded, and the human trafficking case had not ended as a result!"

Xu De hadn't submitted much evidence before the trial began, only handing over a pile of materials.

Why?

Because the evidence had already been submitted by the prosecution and Chen Wei long ago. He could just use theirs directly in court.

As for whether the other party was willing or not?

Who cared.

Anyway, the law stipulated that he could use it. It was legal and compliant. Even if they weren't willing, he could forcibly use it!

Therefore...

"According to Article 6 of the 'Provisions on Several Issues Concerning the Implementation of the Criminal Procedure Law', it is explicitly stated that under the above circumstances, the cases can be consolidated!"

"Likewise."

"My client, Wang Qiang, falls under the Greenwood City regulation regarding 'acting bravely for a just cause', and furthermore, in the form of 'legitimate self-defense' under Article 20 of the Criminal Law!"

"Respected presiding judge, assessors, and members of the public gallery, I am the defense lawyer, Xu De."

"Everyone, I am here to plead..."

Xu De's eyes were stern. His tone was not impassioned, but rather carried a trace of solemnity.

"Not guilty for the defendant, Wang Qiang!"