"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!