Chapter 30: Halfway There |
"Adjourned!?"
"It''s actually adjourned!"
In a daze, the moment Zhang Bingxin announced the adjournment, the already restless gallery could no longer contain its emotions.
"Sister Liu, didn''t the paper predict this case would be wrapped up in the first hearing!?"
Reporter Zhang Xia covered her open mouth. As she watched the judge and prosecutors gradually disperse, the shock in her eyes was indescribable.
The Wang Qiang case was simple; almost no one thought it would require multiple back-and-forth sessions.
After all, the prosecutor and the judge were both famously uncompromising. Devoid of personal sentiment, merely going through the motions of a single trial would have been enough to convict the defendant. It should have taken three hours, tops.
But...
What did it mean that an unknown defense attorney, popping out of nowhere, forcefully halted this trajectory, leaving the prosecution with no choice but to adjourn and look for new evidence?
And the defendant''s momentum was still steadily rising!
"Where did this guy come from?"
Sister Liu was just as stunned. As a seasoned reporter who had worked in Greenwood City for so long, this was the first time she had ever heard of a lawyer named Xu De.
However, there was no time to dwell on that right now.
Waves of restless commotion reached her ears.
Sister Liu''s ears twitched. She turned her head, and her expression drastically changed.
Dozens of reporters, seeing the trial adjourn and everyone packing up to leave, suddenly stood up in unison. Grabbing their microphones, they rushed toward the aisles.
What were they trying to do?
They were absolutely going to fight for prime positions to interview the people involved!
"Crap, I zoned out!"
Sister Liu felt a surge of anxiety, wishing she could slap herself.
She frantically grabbed her microphone and walked briskly toward the exit, dropping a reminder as she went.
"Little Xia, let''s go! If we don''t hurry, you won''t even be able to squeeze in later!"
Zhang Xia snapped back to reality. She hastily gathered her things, then looked up at the courtroom''s various doors, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
"Sister Liu, who are we interviewing?"
Normally speaking, reporters had two main targets to interview.
First, the presiding judge. They were the ultimate authority on the case; anything they said was crucial information.
Second, the prosecutors. They held the evidence that determined the nature and direction of the case!
But for this case...
"Do you even have to ask? The defense attorney! Cut off that Lawyer Xu!"
Sister Liu took a deep breath and plunged headfirst into the crowd.
Zhang Xia hurriedly followed.
...
Inside the courtroom.
"Ad... adjourned?"
At the defendant''s seat, Wang Qiang''s cloudy eyes suddenly shifted. He looked at the gradually dispersing courtroom before him, completely dazed.
It wasn''t until the bailiffs beside him came to escort him away that he finally snapped out of it.
He unconsciously stepped away from the dock.
He saw Xu De quietly organizing his documents. As if noticing his gaze, Xu De looked up, glanced in his direction, and offered a reassuring smile.
All of a sudden, Wang Qiang''s heart seemed to beat a little stronger because of that expression.
He took a deep breath and, standing between the two bailiffs, allowed himself to be escorted away.
Seeing his client leave the court, Xu De did not dawdle either. He finished packing his defense materials, turned around, and prepared to head out.
Click!
The heavy doors to the corridor were pushed open.
The expected open path did not appear before him. Instead, it was blocked by a swarming crowd of reporters, packed so tightly they formed a human wall.
Seeing him emerge, everyone''s eyes lit up. Without a word, countless cameras and microphones, accompanied by flashing lights, were thrust toward Xu De''s face.
At the same time, a chaotic chorus of eager voices erupted.
"Lawyer Xu, what are your thoughts on this case!?"
"Did you anticipate the mid-trial adjournment? What is your opinion of the prosecution?"
"Lawyer Xu, we are from Phoenix News Television and would like an exclusive interview with you. Do you have time..."
"Can you tell us why you dared to plead not guilty!?"
...
Dozens of mouths fired off questions, forming a tidal wave that instantly submerged Xu De.
The fanatic enthusiasm was akin to fans mobbing a celebrity.
However, Xu De had no desire to be a star.
He looked back toward the direction the prosecution had taken.
He happened to notice the gloomy face of Chen Wei, as well as the backs of Li Youcai and Liu Cui, who were storming out, seething with extreme rage.
Seeing this, Xu De withdrew his gaze.
The first hearing was over, but that didn''t mean he was going to rest.
He was going to prepare an even bigger surprise for the public prosecutor!
At that thought, Xu De''s expression faded into exceptional seriousness.
"Excuse me, make way!"
He pushed aside the microphones shoved in his face and squeezed through the crowd.
Seeing his clear refusal to communicate, the reporters grew visibly anxious.
"Mr. Xu, even just one sentence is fine!"
"Please hold on, we''re willing to pay for an exclusive interview!"
"Lawyer Xu, wait a moment..."
Despite their desperate pleas, Xu De acted as if he hadn''t heard a thing. Before long, he broke through the crowd and disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Seeing this, Reporter Zhang Xia and Sister Liu dropped their hands in frustration.
"Sister Liu, what should we do?" Zhang Xia asked, at a loss.
He hadn''t said a single word. How were they supposed to write their articles?
Sister Liu took a deep breath and said sternly,
"Just write about what he did during the trial!"
Whether it was praise or criticism... as long as they wrote about it, it would absolutely become the focus of society right now!
As for the publication time...
Sister Liu glanced at the reporters from over a dozen other news agencies around her.
These people were all sly old foxes. If she was even one step too slow... she wouldn''t even get the scraps.
Sister Liu made up her mind.
"We''ll write it up today and take it straight to the editor-in-chief for review. It absolutely must be published in tomorrow''s morning edition!"
When tomorrow''s morning edition was released...
That would be the moment public opinion boiled over once again!
The two hurried away.
As for Xu De...
At this moment, Xu De had already walked out of the courthouse. He enjoyed the tranquility of five o''clock in the afternoon and took a deep breath of fresh air.
Upon seeing him, a slender figure who had been waiting outside stepped forward.
"How was it? How did the trial go!?"
The person who approached was none other than the ''Nine Heavens Flying Dragon Jade-Faced Thunder Prime Universal Transformation Living Beings Demon Subduer Longevity True Monarch!''
Also known as Lin Yue. She stood in front of Xu De, her expression tense, stealing anxious glances inside the courthouse from time to time.
Xu De smiled. Not rushing to answer, he asked a question in return.
"Where are the people you found to help? Did you find them?"
There was no need to rush to answer about the trial.
Based on his experience... by tomorrow morning at the latest, all of Greenwood City would be covered in reports about him!
It was a classic case of an absolute nobody making a name for himself overnight!
Hearing this, Lin Yue suppressed her curiosity and nodded. "I found them."
Upon hearing that, a sharp gleam flashed in Xu De''s eyes as he said,
"It''s getting late. Let''s use the cover of darkness and head straight to Lijia Village!"
Lin Yue paused, then said in astonishment,
"Wait... the trial just ended. You''re going to sneak around without even eating first!?"
Xu De replied, "Stop talking nonsense, we need to hurry!"
With that said, the two hurriedly left.
The national emblem of the courthouse hung high on the platform behind them, silently watching over their departing backs until they were out of sight.
...
At five-thirty in the afternoon.
Lawyer Chen Wei of Yangteng Law Firm was very silent.
He took a taxi back to the law firm alone. If one looked closely, they would notice his collar was a mess, his hair was as tangled as a bird''s nest, and there were even a few bloody scratch marks on his face.
This was Liu Cui''s doing.
The reason being his disastrous performance during the trial...
He returned to Yangteng Law Firm bearing this completely disheveled appearance.
Creak—
The door opened. In the law firm''s lobby, several lawyers getting coffee instinctively turned to look. Recognizing him, they chuckled and asked:
"How did it go, Lawyer Chen? Returning in triumph?"
"Ha, I heard the public prosecutor was Hu Guang. With him there, I figured you wouldn''t even need to... huh?"
The group had just started making small talk, but upon clearly seeing Chen Wei''s appearance, they abruptly froze.
They exchanged hesitant looks.
"Lawyer Chen, how... how did this happen to you?"
Hearing this, Chen Wei took a deep breath, suppressing the heavy emotions churning in his chest. He said expressionlessly,
"It''s nothing."
The lawyers exchanged glances and probed again.
"Lawyer Chen, how went the case?"
"The firm takes this case quite seriously. Although the reputation isn''t great, if we win, it''ll completely prove the firm''s strength."
The case?
The anger Chen Wei had just suppressed nearly exploded.
His hands, clenched into fists, squeezed so hard his knuckles turned white. He gritted his teeth and forced a sentence out from between them.
"The case... is nothing!"
What kind of answer was that?
His colleagues were confused, but didn''t dare press further, so they just smiled and said,
"Lawyer Chen, someone''s waiting for you inside. I think it''s an old classmate of yours. We''ll leave you two to catch up."
An old classmate?
Chen Wei paused, his brows instinctively furrowing.
Just as he was wondering who it could be, still drawing a blank, a voice suddenly drifted over from his side.
"Haha, Old Chen, how did the case go!?"
This voice... sounded familiar.
Chen Wei stiffened. Then, his expressionless face slowly turned to the side.
What entered his line of sight was a face full of smiles.
This was...
Sun Hao!
That''s right, the person who had come was none other than Sun Hao from Jinmao Law Firm, Xu De''s group leader, the old classmate who had provided him with ''crucial pre-battle intelligence materials'' before the trial—Sun Hao!
Sun Hao chuckled as he got up from the sofa and walked toward him.
"How about it, Old Chen? Did you win the case?"
The moment those words dropped...
Chen Wei''s originally passable face visibly flushed red, then darkened. The veins on his forehead bulged, and his features gradually contorted into a snarl.
His breathing grew increasingly rapid. The emotions suppressed in his chest could no longer be contained, causing his chest to heave violently!
His clenched fists let out crack-crack sounds. Every muscle in his body was tense, the veins popping out!
Sun Hao... Sun Hao...
"Sun Hao!"
A furious roar echoed throughout the law firm.
The next second, in Sun Hao''s utterly astonished eyes, Chen Wei''s furious, contorted face descended upon him, followed immediately by a rapidly expanding fist.
"How dare you come looking for me!!!"
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