Chapter 65: The Arrogant Liu Jingqi! |
How to make the move...
Xu De thought for a moment before speaking.
"How much faster can my practicing certificate be processed?"
Lin Yue provided a rough estimate. "About eight days."
Eight days...
"That is enough."
"We will wait for the police to hand the case over to the Procuratorate."
"Right after that, I will meet with Liu Jingqi in my capacity as the victim''s litigation agent to gauge her attitude. If her attitude is wrong, then we will seize that moment..."
"And immediately move against Lu Guangjun!"
November 20th.
The police investigation into the Green Forest 18th Academy case was drawing to a close.
It was determined that Yang Jiale''s death was closely linked to Liu Jingqi, Qiao Wang, and Jiang Yu.
Following a discussion, the criminal investigation team ultimately decided to transfer the case to the Greenwood City People''s Procuratorate.
...
November 21st.
The court accepted the case.
This case was designated as the 18th Academy Case.
The Procuratorate filed a public prosecution in the Intermediate People''s Court according to the law. The handling prosecutor assigned to the case was named Huang Shi.
Huang Shi officially intervened in the case and began to corroborate the evidence provided by the police.
At the same time, prosecutors began appearing frequently at the 18th Academy, and some of Yang Jiale''s schoolmates began undergoing interviews and investigations.
Until...
...
December 5th.
Xu De''s practicing certificate, which normally required one to three months for review, was approved in just a dozen days!
That very day.
Witnessed by a state guardian, Xu De signed an entrustment contract with Yang Huan.
At this point, from a legal standpoint, he had completely become the litigation agent for the victim on the plaintiff''s side in the 18th Academy Case!
Subsequently.
Xu De commenced his operations without a single moment of rest.
His ultimate target was Lu Guangjun, but the first person he intended to meet was...
Liu Jingqi!
...
...
That day, at twelve-thirty in the afternoon.
Inside the Greenwood City Detention Center.
"Tap, tap..."
A girl wearing a yellow prison uniform with her hands cuffed was escorted by two police officers toward the lawyer consultation room.
The consultation room was barely two meters wide, not even as large as a restroom, and was divided by a wire mesh partition.
"Clack!"
An officer opened the partition gate, and the other pushed Liu Jingqi inside.
"Watch what you say, and do not behave drastically."
"Smack!"
Liu Jingqi did not seem angry at all. After stepping inside, she sat down at the interrogation table, scanning her surroundings with an amused and curious gaze, lacking even a shred of nervousness.
Suddenly.
"You are Liu Jingqi, correct?"
A figure sat down in front of her, separated only by the wire mesh partition.
The newcomer was none other than Xu De, with Wang Chao and Lin Yue standing right behind him. He looked directly at her.
Judging by appearances alone, it was difficult to associate the girl in front of him with the ferocious and ruthless visage of someone who bullied others and even committed murder.
Yet the reality remained.
This innocent-looking girl in front of him had indeed killed someone.
Looking at Liu Jingqi across the table, Xu De''s gaze quickly swept over her nose, cheekbones, and forehead before withdrawing his eyes. He said flatly, "Do you know who I am?"
Liu Jingqi scanned him up and down, then indifferently lowered her head and began picking at her fingernails, adopting an attitude of complete disregard.
Seeing this, Wang Chao frowned and spoke up, "He is asking you a question!"
Hearing this, Liu Jingqi grew rather impatient.
"You already know it is me, yet you still ask. Are you sick in the head?"
Wang Chao instantly flared up in anger, pointing his finger at her. "You!"
Xu De extended his hand to stop him, then refocused his gaze on Liu Jingqi and spoke. "Yang Jiale is dead."
Liu Jingqi continued picking at her fingers, casually replying, "So what?"
Xu De''s brow furrowed slightly.
"Do you... not regret it? No sense of apology?"
"Not only Yang Jiale, but her mother Zhao Li has also died. Do you have nothing to say?"
Hearing this, Liu Jingqi paused.
She slowly raised her head, a look of deep emotion appearing on her face. After a moment of silence, she spoke up. "I... I am sorry for her..."
"I should not have..."
As she spoke.
Liu Jingqi fell silent.
But a few seconds later.
"Ha! You did not actually think I would say that, did you?"
In an instant, a mocking sneer appeared on Liu Jingqi''s face. She leaned back against her chair, looking at the three people before her with utter indifference. "What do dead people have to do with me?"
"And that... that brick-layer woman, what does her death have to do with me?"
"Did I kill her? If they are dead, they are dead. Do not go around biting people randomly."
As those words fell.
Wang Chao and Lin Yue''s expressions turned quite ugly.
The person before them... this was not just talk.
She truly believed that the deaths had absolutely nothing to do with her!
"Let me tell you, the police can deduce from the fall impact marks on the corpse whether it was an intentional push or an accidental slip."
"Furthermore, there are multiple injuries and bruises on Yang Jiale''s body, and your fingerprints were left on the weapon at the scene."
Xu De spoke, his face remaining entirely expressionless.
"You cannot escape."
As his words fell.
A sliver of disdain surfaced on Liu Jingqi''s face.
"Who are you trying to scare?"
"Do you really think I was raised on threats?!"
She did not bother to fake it anymore. She straightened her back, lifted her chin, and a look of contempt flared in her eyes.
"Lawyer Zhang already told my mom."
"I did not kill anyone. At most, I just caused intentional injury leading to death."
As she spoke.
Liu Jingqi leaned forward slightly, unable to suppress a smile, talking even as she laughed. "Do you know how old I am? Do you know what is written on my household registration?"
"At the absolute worst, they will sentence me to ten years. Besides, I was not the only one there, so the responsibility cannot fall entirely on me, right?"
"Lawyer Zhang said so."
"Even if I am convicted, even if they think I am guilty, it will only be a few years. If I behave well inside, I can get out in three years!"
It was as if she was broadcasting her reliance, completely disregarding the people in front of her.
And the reality was precisely as she described.
Given her circumstances, it would be difficult to secure a severe sentence.
Not to mention that under the conditions where only signs of physical harm existed at the scene, it would be extremely difficult to convict her of murder.
"Anyway, the worst-case scenario is just three years."
"Three years from now I will only be nineteen. My criminal record will be sealed, and it will not even show up on my file. Besides, Yang Jiale and her mom were just low-lifes. Six months after they are dead, nobody will even remember them."
"I can even go on to attend university."
"So..."
Liu Jingqi spread her hands, her tone carrying a hint of innocence as she casually added, "Why should I apologize? It is not like I killed them anyway."
Wang Chao''s face looked incredibly hideous. He could no longer hold back and suddenly thrust his hand forward.
"You!"
Fortunately, Xu De stood up and held him back.
He turned his head, casting a sidelong glance at Liu Jingqi before speaking slowly. "This meeting ends here."
"I hope you can maintain this attitude."
Liu Jingqi rolled her eyes, let out a scoff, and said with triumphant pride, "Do you know Zhang Wei? That man is a golden lawyer!"
"My mom spent two hundred thousand yuan to hire an entire legal team."
Xu De said flatly, "See you in court."
With that statement finished.
He turned around and left with Wang Chao. Before Lin Yue departed, she also etched Liu Jingqi''s appearance deeply into her mind.
"Psh!"
Once they stepped out of the detention center gates.
Wang Chao could truly contain himself no longer and immediately cursed out loud, "An animal! That girl is an absolute animal!"
"Damn it, that Zhang Wei is not a good piece of work either. Two human lives! And he is actually thinking of delivering a not-guilty defense? What a complete piece of human trash!"
Lin Yue remained silent, but her eyes looked exceptionally grim.
Clearly, if it were possible, she would even want to perform a Daoist ritual to forcibly send Liu Jingqi to the afterlife.
Xu De, however, did not experience any major emotional fluctuations. He pulled a cigarette from his breast pocket and took a deep drag.
He remarked, "This attitude is excellent... this is exactly the attitude she should have."
As he spoke, he actually let out a chuckle.
Refusing to plead guilty was excellent.
An arrogant and domineering attitude was wonderful!
Only like this... could they secure a heavy sentence!!!
Right now.
Since her attitude had confirmed that she had carried out bullying and murder, then...
"We will make an example out of Lu Guangjun!!!"
As Xu De''s words fell, he did not hesitate for a single second and immediately pulled out his cell phone.
Over the past few days, he had collected contact numbers for everyone involved, and at this moment, he instantly found the number associated with Lu Guangjun in his contact list.
He pressed the dial button.
"Beep... Beep..."
A brief moment later, the call connected.
"Hello?"
From the speaker came a voice that sounded somewhat exhausted.
Hearing this, Xu De''s tone suddenly shifted, softening by several degrees as if he were merely chatting with an old friend. He chuckled and said, "Hello... is this Teacher Lu?"