Chapter 51: A Gentleman Judges by Actions, Not by Intentions! |
There were four great joys in life: rain after a long drought, meeting an old friend in a distant land, the wedding night, and seeing one''s name on the imperial examination list.
But... riding a swift horse in bright clothes and achieving fame at a young age was just as exhilarating!
Outside the courthouse.
Countless reporters, both famous and unknown, swarmed the two men who had just stepped out of the lobby. People shoved against each other, shoulders colliding, feet getting trampled!
In the noisy crowd, quite a few familiar faces could be vaguely seen.
There were long-established reporters from local television stations.
There were also senior journalists from authoritative newspapers, the undisputed veterans of the industry.
There were even... people from the official television station!
But it was obvious that even the presence of the official station didn''t deter the veteran reporters. They didn''t give them any face; in fact, they were the ones doing the most shoving!
This was a case rarely seen in a decade. If they backed down just because the other party was from the official station and missed this scoop...
When they returned to the office, the chief editor and managing editor would probably want to wring their necks!
So what if it was the official station? Their microphones were just as sharp!!!
Thinking of this.
The crowd pushed even harder. The people in the back looked as if they were swimming just to squeeze in front of Xu De and Wang Qiang.
"Excuse me, is there anything you are still dissatisfied with regarding this case!?"
Someone asked anxiously.
But unfortunately, he was pushed to the back in the blink of an eye.
And the person who pushed him...
Was the reporter, Zhang Xia!
The slender female reporter had forcefully squeezed from the very back to the innermost circle. Standing in front of Xu De, she panted heavily and shoved the microphone right in front of his face.
"Lawyer Xu, hello, I am Zhang Xia, a reporter from Phoenix Press."
"According to my understanding, many law firms in Greenwood City initially refused to take this case."
"May I ask what mindset you had when you first accepted this case!?"
After she spoke.
Zhang Xia stared fixedly at him, terrified of missing a single detail.
The others around them also softened their movements upon hearing this. They were also waiting for the answer to this question.
There was a possibility of overturning a murder case, but it generally revolved around two points.
''One, there is no definitive evidence of the defendant committing the murder plus a strong chain of evidence.''
''Two, there is a suspicion or fact of extorting a confession by torture within the trial evidence.''
However, none of the above information applied to Wang Qiang''s case.
First, the evidence of his murder was conclusive. The only point of doubt was that ''no one saw him commit the murder voluntarily and without external interference with their own eyes,'' but this point could be refuted by his own confession.
Second, Wang Qiang was not subjected to a forced confession, so...
This was an almost certain conviction!
The death penalty and a suspended death sentence were unlikely, but there was a ninety percent chance of a ten-year sentence. This result would certainly not be what anyone wanted, which led to many law firms refusing to accept this hot potato.
But...
Xu De took it.
He even won!
To achieve an extreme outcome that occurred less than five times a year nationwide, all by himself, without a team!!!
"Could you tell us?" Zhang Xia stared at Xu De, her words sincere.
Hearing this.
Xu De, who was just about to break away from the crowd, paused. He considered it for a moment, then opened his mouth.
He spat out four words.
"Professional ethics."
With that said.
Xu De led Wang Qiang outward, squeezing through the cracks in the crowd.
"Make way, make way."
In no time, he squeezed out of the mob of reporters.
Zhang Xia and the other reporters stayed where they were, not relentlessly pursuing him to get to the bottom of it. After all, even without an interview, the trial process of this case alone was enough for them to write massive reports!
They stared at Xu De''s back until he completely disappeared from sight.
"Professional ethics, huh..."
Several people murmured, mulling it over in their hearts.
Professional ethics was not an obscure term; it was frequently discussed by the general public, but...
Who could actually put it into practice?
In the food industry, shop owners constantly guaranteed their professional ethics, promising no shortchanging and ensuring food safety.
But if you went to any random wet market, you could find ''rigged scales'' with just a little looking; or if you checked out a few roadside stalls these days, you''d find copious amounts of gutter oil!
These people turned professional ethics into certificates and hung them on the wall, but did they possess any?
No.
As for this case, Xu De might not necessarily have professional ethics. After all, this case had generated a huge amount of public opinion, and many lawyers without a chance would fantasize about taking it to gain fame.
But then again.
A gentleman judges by actions, not by intentions!
At least...
When Wang Qiang fell into a desperate situation, suffered injustice, and all the lawyers were hesitant to act, he was the one who stood up, taking on the case alone at the risk of destroying his own career.
Especially since he managed to turn the tide and win the case in such an extreme manner!
Under circumstances where he possessed the ability and educational background, even without taking such a risk, his future was boundless. Yet, he chose to take on this case...
Judge a man by his deeds, not his thoughts!
At least in terms of his actions, he stood at the moral pinnacle of Greenwood City''s legal circle, looking down on everyone else.
"Sigh, where have my professional ethics gone..."
Zhang Xia felt slightly ashamed of her inferiority, but then her gaze focused.
He was a gentleman, true, but...
She wasn''t a petty person either!
"This kind of person... shouldn''t remain obscure!"
At this moment, it wasn''t just Zhang Xia; all the reporters present secretly made up their minds, preparing to praise him heavily in newspapers and news broadcasts.
Hmph, wanting to hide away in some unknown law firm?
Go get famous!
......
At the same time.
In the intermediate court''s parking lot.
"Amazing, amazing. Lawyer Xu, can I really work with you?"
Wang Chao had been waiting in the parking lot early on. Beside him were Wang Mei and Xu Hong. Looking at Xu De returning with Wang Qiang, his face showed a mix of deep emotion and disbelief.
Lin Yue, standing to the side, also felt immense admiration, pondering how much more money she could scrape together for an additional investment.
If, after understanding the first hearing, Wang Chao thought he had followed the right person.
Then after the second trial hearing...
He realized the man wasn''t just a person; he was simply a god!
"I''ve never heard of the top-tier law firms in Beijing rejecting a top graduate from a Project 985 university,"
Xu De joked with a smile.
Then, ignoring Wang Qiang, who was reuniting with Xu Hong and Wang Mei beside him, he looked up into the distance.
In the distance, several figures were standing.
Very familiar figures.
It was the three prosecutors: Hu Guang, Wang Wei, and Zhang Qing.
The three were in uniform. Currently sitting on the steps in a secluded corner, they were silently eating their boxed lunches, occasionally glancing up at their group before burying their heads back into their food.
They had driven here, so it was natural they would bump into Xu De and the others.
And court trials were extremely draining, not to mention litigating against Xu De.
The two sides had battled for hours... This tactic of outlasting the old men was practically a dimensional strike against two men who weren''t in the best of health.
They urgently needed food right now!
Only...
Xu De paused.
The next second, he turned around and slowly walked towards Hu Guang and Wang Wei in the distance.
In a short while, he stood before the three of them.
Hu Guang felt a shadow cast over his head. Looking up, he saw Xu De''s face.
Hu Guang suddenly felt a wave of speechlessness.
Wait, the trial was already over... Why was he still hunting them down, getting right in their faces!?
"What is it? Do you have something to say?"
"You can''t possibly deny us even a meal, right?"
Hu Guang said, exasperated. They had been relentlessly attacked during the trial, leaving the two of them without any temper to argue back. Were they not even allowed to eat after court was adjourned?
Even the most notorious shyster in Greenwood City wouldn''t do this!
"It''s nothing, just dropping something off."
Xu De chuckled, casually taking out a well-preserved, somewhat worn and yellowed piece of paper from his hand.
"What is it?"
Hu Guang reached out and took it while continuing to eat.
"Just a piece of evidence related to the case but with no direct connection to Wang Qiang. As for your boxed lunches..."
Xu De paused, looking at the boxed lunches the three had only just begun to eat.
A smile appeared on his face.
"I''m afraid you won''t have time to eat them."
Hu Guang was confused. He looked down and unfolded the paper. And this piece of paper was strikingly a...
promissory note.