Free Web NovelChapter 79: Chapter 79: Counter-accusation
Su Li frowned and was about to say something, but Fang Luo came back after settling the bill. "Let’s go, let’s go."
A hint of resentment flashed in Tang Yuanxiao’s eyes, but he held his tongue.
Su Li trailed a step behind Tang Yuanxiao and Fang Luo, Tang Yuanxiao’s strange question echoing in her mind.
’Who’s better, Fang Luo or me?’
’Why would Tang Yuanxiao ask such a strange question? Is he unhappy about being looked down on?’
Su Li figured it was probably her earlier praise for Fang Luo that had upset Tang Yuanxiao.
’No one likes being underestimated. Tang Yuanxiao must not like me underestimating him, either.’
’People really are so predictable... He just had to find a way to save face...’ Su Li thought, pursing her lips at Tang Yuanxiao’s back.
Tang Yuanxiao, perhaps sensing her thoughts, glanced back at Su Li.
Su Li casually looked away, ignoring him.
It never crossed her mind that there was another possible reason for Tang Yuanxiao’s behavior—jealousy.
The thought of him being jealous was so far-fetched, Su Li wouldn’t have considered it in a million years.
When they arrived at the courthouse, there were only a few minutes left before the hearing. Fang Luo went to meet someone and came back, his expression somber.
"Su Li, I didn’t get to finish what I was saying earlier. You need to be mentally prepared for when you testify as a witness."
Su Li’s expression grew serious. "I’m listening."
"Those four traffickers are vicious. They’re insisting that you sold Tang Mo to them, not that they abducted him."
Fang Luo looked exasperated. "None of us believe their absurd claims. We told them that if you had sold Tang Mo, why would you have desperately fought to get him back? They can’t refute that, but they just keep insisting... Ugh..."
Fang Luo sighed heavily.
Su Li was genuinely surprised. She never imagined the traffickers would say such a thing.
After the initial shock, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The situation was as ridiculous as it was frustrating.
"They’re really... There’s a limit to how you can lash out with false accusations. They probably hold a grudge. They were caught because of me, and after their capture, I..."
Su Li sighed.
After the traffickers were caught, she’d been so full of rage that she couldn’t help but unleash it on them.
It was only natural for them to hate her.
"Probably. We’re all frustrated by this. But besides hatred, the traffickers are also hoping to reduce their sentences. They’re thinking every little bit helps."
Fang Luo shook his head. "The four of them have coordinated their stories. They’re all sticking to the claim that you sold him, and they won’t back down. Their accounts are identical, and it’s giving everyone a headache."
Fang Luo repeated the four traffickers’ exact words.
"She’s just the stepmother, that’s why she sold the boy to us. She didn’t even want money, just demanded that we sell him as far away as possible."
As he spoke, Fang Luo looked uncomfortable and subconsciously glanced at Su Li’s and Tang Yuanxiao’s expressions, looking utterly awkward himself.
"They just repeat the same few lines over and over. If we hadn’t seen you rescue Tang Mo with our own eyes, we might have actually believed them."
"That’s ridiculous," Tang Yuanxiao couldn’t help but say.
"It is ridiculous, isn’t it? Those four traffickers are insane. Watching them, I get the feeling they actually believe their own lies. They say it like it’s the gospel truth. Luckily, we don’t buy it."
Listening to Fang Luo, Su Li felt that something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
A thought flashed through her mind, but she couldn’t catch it.
She frowned and put the thought aside for now. "It’s not surprising," she said. "It’s clear they’ve been trained. They were probably taught what to do if they got caught, so it’s no wonder their stories are coordinated."
’In the future, these kinds of organized, trained groups would become much more common.’
"They’re despicable," Fang Luo said through gritted teeth.
"As for you saying they seem to believe their own lies, that’s not surprising either. It might be through psychological suggestion, some kind of mental conditioning. It’s..."
Su Li trailed off as she explained, noticing the strange looks from Fang Luo and Tang Yuanxiao. ’Right,’ she thought, ’hypnosis isn’t exactly a well-known concept at this time.’
Swallowing the term "self-hypnosis," Su Li continued, "Let me put it this way. Even if it’s a lie, if you tell yourself over and over again that it’s true, to the point that you start to believe it yourself, then you’ll perceive it as reality."
’That must be what’s happening with those four traffickers, which is why they refuse to change their story no matter how much they’re interrogated.’
"To think such a thing is possible... that’s just vile," Fang Luo cursed.
Tang Yuanxiao remained silent, but his expression was grim.
Seeing their expressions, Su Li managed a smile and joked, "It’s a good thing I got Little Mo back. Otherwise, I’d never be able to clear my name, even if I jumped into the Yellow River."
’The traffickers must have observed us while casing the area and learned that I’m the stepmother. That’s why they’re insisting I sold Tang Mo to them, and why they later tried to drill those ideas into Little Tang Mo’s head...’
’How hateful and terrifying.’ Su Li sighed. ’Thank goodness I was able to save him in this lifetime!’
"Tell me about it..." Fang Luo also sighed.
Before he could get any more emotional, the trial began.
Just as Fang Luo had said, the four traffickers insisted that Su Li had sold Tang Mo to them and demanded the judge hold her culpable as well.
Having been forewarned, Su Li wasn’t surprised or angry. She simply gave her testimony with a sense of resignation.
As Su Li stepped down from the witness stand, the male trafficker who had been the most aggressive in his accusations was so enraged that he leaped up from the defendant’s box and roared at the gallery.
"Don’t any of you be fooled by this vicious woman! She’s the one who wanted to sell her stepson! Is the boy’s birth father here? You can’t believe her! If you want your son to live, you have to kill this evil woman..." freewebnøvel.coɱ
The trafficker yelled as he nearly charged at Su Li, but thankfully, he was quickly restrained by the bailiffs.
The trafficker was quickly brought under control and, to prevent him from causing any more disruptions in the courtroom, was swiftly led away.
Su Li stood frozen in place, her heart hammering in her chest.
She hadn’t expected the trafficker to be so crazed, and she was a little shaken.
"Are you all right?" A warmth spread across her arm. Su Li turned to see Tang Yuanxiao.
He was looking at her with concern, his hand gently supporting her arm.
"I’m fine." Su Li let out a breath and quickly took two steps back, moving out of Tang Yuanxiao’s grasp.
Tang Yuanxiao looked down at his empty hand, his gaze darkening as he stared intently at Su Li.
He only let out a sigh of relief after seeing the color slowly return to her face.
Despite the hiccup, the trial concluded smoothly.
Although they didn’t manage to identify the traffickers’ superiors or the rest of the organization, the four of them were sent to prison to receive the punishment they deserved.
Leaving the courthouse, Su Li looked up at the blue sky and slowly let out a breath she’d been holding.
"Thank goodness that’s over." Fang Luo also let out a sigh of relief. He was happy for a moment, but then he sighed again.
"What’s wrong?" Su Li asked.
"Ah, I was thinking about those three who were arrested today." Fang Luo sighed. "We caught them, but the children haven’t been found. It’s like the kids just vanished from the face of the earth."
The situation in the neighboring county was similar to the one in Fengcheng County. The difference was that in Fengcheng County, the criminals were caught red-handed and the child was rescued. In the neighboring county, the traffickers were eventually caught, but the children were nowhere to be found.
"The chances of finding the children are slim..." Fang Luo’s face fell.
Su Li thought of her experience searching for Little Tang Mo in her previous life and felt a deep pang of empathy.
As Tang Yuanxiao listened, a renewed sense of fear washed over him. The look he gave Su Li became even more complex.
After a chaotic day, the time for Tang Yuanxiao’s departure quietly arrived.
