Free Web NovelChapter 434: Chapter 321: The Day of the Trial!
National Security must be ruthless and meticulous enough to discern every suspicious point around them.
But this move... is really quite underhanded.
The Western Country was completely kept in the dark. Even when they discovered the truth later on, they still couldn’t accuse them internationally of not allowing them to steal genuine technology, right!?
They could only swallow their anger and accept their bad luck...
Even facing some condemnation.
That’s right, given the current lawsuit of the Supreme Court’s head case, the domestic public opinion is raging. Once the disc case is made public, everyone will immediately turn their attention and attack the country that dispatched the disc player!
And the current scope of public opinion is not limited to domestic... there is also a large group of people overseas watching. When the time comes, it will backfire...
"You thought of this?"
The old man was shocked. He did not know when his subordinate had become so cunning.
"Not me."
Zhang Tian shook his head and swiftly explained.
"It was... Lawyer Xu, a student of Professor Wu."
Though his own reputation isn’t any better, no matter where he goes, there are people who don’t like him, but this has always been the tradition of the intelligence department, so he’s long used to it.
However, in any case, his reputation still compares favorably to Xu Liang’s!
Compared to that, Zhang Tian even felt a slight impulse to cherish his own reputation, which was quite astounding!
"Xu Liang?"
The old man was also slightly taken aback, his expression gradually turning peculiar.
"The one from the Supreme Court’s head case?"
"How did he find out?"
Zhang Tian nodded.
Then he slowly began to explain:
"One US Dollar, there was a US Dollar at Dongyang Vegetable Market."
One US Dollar, according to the exchange rate, is just eight yuan.
That’s not enough for two meals!
To say it’s strange appearing in the market is both strange and not, at least no one other than Xu Liang found it odd at Dongyang Vegetable Market.
After all, this thing has a certain ’sense of rationality’ amidst the incongruity.
But Xu Liang was able to deduce that someone was hiding in Upper City based on the court not yet notifying, and Zhu Haoyi arriving early in Upper City, thereby detecting something wrong with the vegetable market and combining it with one US Dollar... which led him to find Si Hong, and then Fang Tianhai...
Even capable of coming up with these cunning self-serving plots in an instant!
"This kid is truly devious, and his abilities aren’t bad... almost born for intelligence work!"
The old man both criticized and complimented him, immediately liking him a lot.
"Such a belly full of mischief!"
"These self-serving methods, and a mind full of sinister thoughts... tsk, born for National Security!"
Based on these incidental details, he could deduce the entire complex network of this major case, and even clarified all the power dynamics...
Just as the old man said.
Born for intelligence work!
Zhang Tian:...
Zhang Tian felt a bit at a loss for words but didn’t know where to begin.
It’s infuriating, National Security’s reputation, the biggest slander seems to be their leader!
Although what they do indeed invites hatred...
"It’s just... how did that old Professor Wu teach such a student?"
The old man was puzzled again.
He wasn’t familiar with Wu Chengjun, but he had heard his name. After all, Upper City was only so big, occasionally he could hear some rumors.
The reputation of Wu Chengjun, in summary... is stubborn!
Can such a stubborn person teach someone like that?
"Maybe it’s just a façade."
Zhang Tian thought for a moment and said.
"There’s someone at the embassy named Li Yang, the same name as the one in the head case, who is Lawyer Xu’s junior, the second disciple of Professor Wu."
"In the second half of 2004, he also used quite a sinister trick."
The old man recalled for a moment and suddenly understood.
That was during the Hanhai City Wang Hai case.
The opponent profited from human bones, but behind the scenes, they were heavily tied to someone in Elephant Country, causing Elephant Country to anxiously want to rescue the person.
Originally, they thought of tormenting each other for a year or two.
But suddenly, that named Li Yang, appeared out of nowhere.
He directly sowed discord, making both parties fight among themselves. Wang Hai even knew he was being manipulated by the authorities, but still willingly confessed everything he knew just to bite back at Elephant Country!
That move was insidiously extreme!
No one expected that honest fellow Li Yang could come up with such a method, which made everyone realize that the honesty might just be a guise, his protective color!
At that time, Zhang Tian was dumbfounded by this move, exclaiming that he saw a fellow artist.
But what he didn’t know was....
This insidious trick was also concocted by Xu Liang... no, it was a good trick, as long as it leads to victory, it’s a good strategy!
"Both Li Yang and Lawyer Xu are like this... I suspect that Professor Wu might..." Zhang Tian hesitated to speak.
The old man understood.
"Sigh, Wu Chengjun, this guy... didn’t expect he could put on such a front, almost an entire lifetime."
He said with a sigh.
Then he waved his hand, saying: "Go and get busy, have the research institute fabricate all the fake data... yeah, don’t make it too regular, but try to make it lifelike."
Zhang Tian nodded.
"Okay."
He then left the office and went outside.
After he left, the old man at the desk was still savoring, then sighed.
"Sigh, this kid... why didn’t he join National Security..."
"Detecting something amiss just through one US Dollar combined with other clues, without knowing there’s a traitor inside... the level of acumen... even in my younger days, I might not have been as good."
The old man said while shaking his head.
He couldn’t imagine what would happen if someone like Xu Liang joined National Security...
The ruthless and calculating nature, with a brain full of scheming, would surely attract much scorn!
Presumably, those with a guilty conscience, even if they found nothing, would have trouble sleeping just thinking about Xu Liang, instantly awoken upon seeing him in dreams.
"What a shame."
...
...
July 23rd.
The Intermediate People’s Court sent the timing for the second court hearing, and the other party scheduled it for August 1st.
There are nine days left until the hearing.
Zhu Haoyi and Li Yang realized that they couldn’t obtain the rare earth elements, so they decisively gave up and started to arrange a scapegoat.
At the same time, Zhu Haoyi noticed that there were still people tracking him closely. Instead of becoming nervous, he felt relieved.
This meant Xu Liang hadn’t discovered anything suspicious and was only in a ’state of suspicion’ towards him.
...
July 25th.
After Zhang Tian confirmed that no one noticed Fang Tianhai’s capture and detention by National Security, he destroyed the stolen technology and then approached a research institute to have a document forged.
"Forgery?"
"What are you doing with that?"
"Don’t worry about it. Just do as I say. After all, I’m with National Security; how could I harm you!?"
In the research institute.
The researcher looked at Zhang Tian in front of him, scrutinized him up and down, and eventually consulted the director.
As objective and truth-seeking researchers, they couldn’t get past the moral barrier of data forgery, so they let the director handle it.
The director was already aware of Fang Tianhai’s situation. Although slightly remorseful, it did not deter the bigger picture. He immediately assembled several senior researchers to form an intensive team to start forging data.
People tend not to feel tired when doing something bad.
The researchers were no exception!
A few individuals gathered, looking at the reports that seemed even more authentic than the real ones, yet the parameters simply couldn’t be calculated. Their faces showed excitement.
The thought of scheming against the researchers from Western Country filled them with unprecedented joy.
Zhang Tian remarked that the hearts of those in research aren’t always pure...
Just like lawyers, some have red hearts, some have black hearts, and some, like Xu Liang, have purple hearts. Of course, it’s red turned purple, though it looks more like black turned purple from the outside...
...
July 28th.
The Intermediate Court began organizing the verified evidence.
The defense submitted some evidence during the evidence collection period, but compared to regular cases... the evidence they submitted seemed more like self-destruction!
Indeed.
Zhu Haoyi and Li Yang pushed forward a scapegoat and reported them, making the entire court find it strange, but they didn’t make conclusions about the evidence based on subjective judgment.
Chief Judge Liu could only feel that he lost quite a bit of hair, with a rueful expression on his face.
...
July 31st.
Public opinion surrounding the case expanded further. Xu Liang began manipulating the narrative, preparing for public backlash upon the revelation of the disc-related case.
He prompted the workers of the Run Dong Weaving Plant, demolished forcefully, to protest at the newspaper office.
The newspaper office was thrilled, repeatedly expressing that they felt like a windfall had landed in their laps.
Once the exclusive interview was out, the previously dormant public opinion began brewing along with the approaching court date...
...
...
August 1st!
The day of the hearing!
"Why do I have a feeling this kid is up to no good?"
Upper City.
In the Intermediate People’s Court.
Chief Judge Liu glanced at his watch, watching as time ticked away closer to the hearing, his heart growing more anxious.
Today is the hearing day.
The day for the second hearing of the Supreme Court’s first instance of the Head Stabbing case!
But...
"Has the plaintiff submitted any evidence in the past half month?"
Chief Judge Liu couldn’t help but turn to Zhao Yi, asking.
Now he genuinely felt troubled.
Who doesn’t submit evidence during the evidence submission period of a lawsuit!
What’s the point of the evidence submission period? For resting!?
Yet, strangely, he couldn’t reject the other party’s evidence in court, completely putting himself in a submissive position... Being a Chief Judge yet having to submit this way, what’s the point of being the Chief Judge then!?
"No, this kid withholding evidence during the submission period means he has no evidence. Not submitting means he has evidence."
Zhao Yi sipped tea, having long gotten used to it.
The seasoned legal warriors of Eastern Country are fearless now!
Zhao Yi didn’t think any domestic case could shake him anymore; this was the result of Xu Liang’s special training.
"What if during the submission period he does nothing?"
Unease crept into Chief Judge Liu’s voice.
"Does nothing?" Zhao Yi was taken aback.
Chief Judge Liu nodded, "Yes, Upper City is this big, just ask around; the plaintiff’s lawyer has done nothing for half a month."
No investigations, meaning it can only prove...
Zhao Yi smirked slightly, "This kid definitely has already gathered the evidence."
"His inaction purely means nothing can be done. Holding onto evidence and not submitting it till now... the longer the hold, the more difficult it is to handle."
"In short..."
"Chief Judge Liu, you should be prepared."
Prepared?
"Judge Zhao, don’t scare me. You’re also a judge in this case!"
Chief Judge Liu got a bit worked up, the indictment had already made him anxious, and if there is a big reveal....
"I’m just the adjudicator, not the Chief Judge."
Zhao Yi waved it off, then glanced at the wall clock, suddenly changing the subject:
"Time’s up."
"Chief Judge, it’s time for the hearing."
