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?