Chapter 119: Four Three Lights Three

Chu Wang had seen the list of defendants for the first trial in the report the day before. There were over 110 defendants, all with ranks above lieutenant, with the highest rank being only two Japanese majors. Only the dozen or so accused with the most serious crimes appeared in court, and Xie Zeyi was not on the latter list.

Although the number of people appearing in court was still not large, it exceeded the number of seats in the Municipal Council's joint trial hall; upon hearing the news, the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce immediately expressed its willingness to provide a venue for this temporary public trial.

The names and nationalities of the judges were announced early in the morning of the trial. The nine judges included the United States, China, Britain, France, the Philippines, and the Netherlands. Although the Philippines is not considered a country, a Filipino judge was specially authorized to attend the court because the case involved the British island of Penang in the South Pacific.

At the same time as the temporary court was established, an International Inspection Bureau was also established to collect criminal evidence. The highest-ranking official in the International Inspection Bureau's temporary investigation department was none other than Colonel Bourbourn from yesterday.

Only after seeing the list did she truly understand Bron's meaning. This first trial was only for lower-level decision-makers in the concession, excluding consuls and senior decision-makers. Consuls and senior decision-makers stationed in Shanghai, such as Zhu Ercha and the Japanese ambassador, were temporarily detained, while others had already been repatriated.

As Blum said, decision-makers must be protected. If the highest decision-makers in Shanghai, who exercise decision-making power on behalf of all nations, were judged, it would be a true admission of "wrongdoing." If only mid- and lower-ranking officers were tried, it would be a sign of "poor leadership."

On the last page of the notice, she saw this sentence: "The first public trial publicly tried criminals in the concessions. Based on the convictions of the first public trial, the six concession countries and China will use this as a basis to amend the Treaty of Nanjing, the Treaty of Humen, the Treaty of Tianjin, the Treaty of Huangpu, and the Treaty of Wangxia."

This was probably what Bron was here for. The first public trial was to appease the Chinese people's anger, so that he could later protect his concession rights to the greatest extent possible.

At first, she couldn't figure out the relationship between herself, the interests of the American concession, and Bron's selfish motives.

On the day of the trial, she saw Sir Xie up close for the first time. Mrs. Ge came with her, and when she was called to the witness stand by the jury officer, Mrs. Ge sat down in the courtroom alongside Sir Xie. Also sitting with them were Mr. Du, Mr. Huang, Mr. Zhang, and Mr. Jiang.

When Chu Wang saw them appear together, he finally understood. Perhaps the Chamber of Commerce provided the International Prosecutor's Office with a public trial venue at the first opportunity, and it might not be entirely out of profit; it might still be that Sir Xie had a request, and the Chamber of Commerce and the Green Gang were willing to give him some help; of course, it was more likely that the Green Gang had a close relationship with Nanjing, which ultimately led to the public trial venue being set at the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce.

Perhaps because of this relationship, Mrs. Ge also had the opportunity to get a seat at the trial.

In addition to them, there were also Nanjing government officials and some Shanghai celebrities who enjoyed extremely high power in the Workers' Council, including Chinese and foreign businessmen, such as Bohr.

Five minutes before the trial began, she suddenly noticed Bron looking towards her. When she turned back and met Bron's eyes, he suddenly pointed to his neck and made a gesture of taking.

She hesitated for a moment, then slowly took the golden key out of the collar of her woolen dress and hung it outside.

She didn't know if it was her imagination. After she finished this gesture and turned her head away with a smile, she noticed that more and more eyes in the courtroom were looking at her, including Sir Xie, Mr. Jiang, Bohr... and even the two judges on the bench.

At exactly ten o'clock, the brief discomfort caused by this illusion quickly disappeared after the trial began.

Because other countries were skeptical about the legal system of a government that had been in power for only two years, after discussions, or perhaps a compromise by the Nanjing government, the public trial ultimately adopted the Anglo-American legal system. This typical bureaucratic legal system is characterized by a lengthy process of evidence presentation and prosecution and defense.

The indictment, read out by Dutch Judge de Vries for nearly half an hour, primarily targeted numerous Japanese officers and interns involved in the spinning mill incident. It also included a small number of complaints regarding foreigners implicated in "miscarriages of justice" and "omissions of justice" by the Municipal Council against criminal officers and businessmen from various countries, as well as officers guilty of "shielding" criminals, during the concessions' efforts to undermine China's judicial sovereignty from the founding of the Republic of China to the present day.

However, this indictment does not mention a single word about the crimes committed by various countries during the century of plundering and dividing China. Instead, it attributes a small number of murders and crimes against humanity to a small number of military officers from various countries who are not of high rank.

Shanghai, this "adventurer's paradise," is nothing less than a living hell constructed by imperialism on Chinese soil. This hell houses a disguised Yama Palace, housing countless Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced Demons, who are supposed to "maintain law and order" but in reality oppress the righteous, shield the wicked, abuse the common people, collude with bandits, defraud property, and engage in drug smuggling.

This accusation told the reporters present at the trial: This verdict is to execute these devils on your behalf in fairness.

In fact, these numerous crimes that disrupt public order are condoned by foreign and Chinese decision-makers.

Yama is in the palace. He is the scapegoat on trial, and also the judge in elegant attire.

But what can be done? This is already much better than the original history.

Over 300 pieces of evidence, collected by the International Prosecution Office within 20 days, were then delivered to the prosecutors. These included testimony from victims and eyewitnesses, case files from the Municipal Council and the Shanghai Provisional Government, and interrogation records and diaries of criminals on trial. The main part of the court hearing involved questioning witnesses and victims based on key testimonies and interrogation records.

In addition to her, other witnesses attending the trial included an Austrian businessman who lived on the top floor of a sixth-floor apartment near the spinning mill and had a view of the interior of the spinning mill hospital, and the mother of a missing boy who was found by the International Investigation Agency from nowhere and had been threatened by a Japanese inspector and forced to go to the Municipal Council to complain about Xie Zeyi's involvement in the missing persons case.

At the beginning, the Japanese officers and doctors confessed to all the charges brought by the judge against the spinning mill hospital, including malicious wounding, arson, and destruction of evidence.

When the judge asked about the exact time of the fire, the Austrian replied, "That evening, at about a quarter to midnight, I was lying in bed, waiting to fall asleep, when suddenly it started to get brighter outside. I opened the window and discovered that the source was the Spinning Mill Hospital, which was directly opposite my window, near the largest plane tree. This is what you later referred to as Building A."

The judge then asked, "So who arrived at the Spinning Mill Hospital first, the Japanese army or the British patrol?"

"I watched from upstairs for a while. After about two or three minutes, a pair of Japanese patrol officers ran out of the spinning mill. About a minute later, the British patrol officers quickly went in. Before entering, one of the two teams was used to intercept the Japanese patrol officers."

The judge asked, "So on the night of the arson, the Japanese inspector appeared before the British inspector?"

"No. That evening, while I was taking a walk after dinner, I saw the two teams of British inspectors appear in an alley outside the Spinning Mill Hospital. I was surprised at the time. This is Japanese police territory, and there have never been so many inspectors in one place at the same time. They must have received orders and were waiting there in advance."

After the Austrian finished his testimony, one of the defendants who had been sitting in their chairs with their heads down and silent suddenly looked up and grinned at her in a very obvious way. It was Sakuma.

The judge then asked the boy's mother: "In your testimony, you said you sold your child to a human trafficker named Pan Ming in December of the previous year."

"Yes."

“Why sell it?”

"Because..." The woman hesitated for a moment, then smiled charmingly and fearfully, "Because my job doesn't allow me to have a child. I can't support him, and he'll make me lose my job, and both mother and child will die. They sold the child to Pan Ming, saying there were some Japanese in the concession who didn't have children. If they sold him to them, they would take him back to Japan, where he'd be well fed and clothed like Japanese children, and wouldn't suffer."

The judge then asked, "Then why did you suddenly want to get him back five months ago?"

"Because they came to me and said my child was stolen by foreigners on the ship to Japan. They said foreigners like to eat children..."

She probably didn't understand English, and during the testimony, the interpreter hadn't explained to her what their child had been sent to do. So, she remained calm and composed, a slightly bewildered smile on her face, a hint of resignation. After answering all the questions and the interpreter told her she could sit down, she glanced around, smiled at the audience, and then gracefully took her seat.

Hearing the voice of "Ms. Lin Zhi", she came to her senses and turned to look at the presiding judge.

Before the president of the court could ask a question, the American judge next to him suddenly whispered something to him. The president of the court thought for a moment, and before she said a word, he suddenly asked the judge next to him to write down a few words.

The presiding judge then asked, "According to the testimony of several members of the Royal Society's Shanghai Institute of Physics, during your time at the institute, Ichiro Sakuma harassed you several times?"

She nodded and replied in English, "Yes."

The judge was slightly startled when he heard her English pronunciation. After a pause, he asked, "Sakuma Ichiro, do you confess to this?"

Sakuma Ichiro also said in English: "I deny it."

Another American judge glanced at him, then lowered his head and pulled out a file. "According to the diary the International Prosecutor's Office obtained from your residence, on February 28th, you wrote: 'From today on, I intend to call you Number Five, my darling, my fierce beast.' According to your various entries, the object of your affection, as you repeatedly expressed in your diary, was none other than Ms. Lin Zhi. On March 27th, you even wrote: 'I want her to be mine.'"

As the American judge handed the jurors the diary, each of which was watched one by one, the courtroom erupted in an uproar. Sakuma Ichiro's wife and mother, who were sitting in the front row with his grandfather, watched from afar as their grandson, son, and husband sat in the courtroom, seemingly eager to hear his own answers.

But he hung his head, like a wilted ball, or a human skin body with its spine pulled out.

The presiding judge then asked, "When did Zoetse give you his revolver?"

"On the night Professor Yoshio Nishina arrived in Japan."

The recorder recorded quickly.

The presiding judge then asked, "Sakuma suffered two gunshot wounds. Was it you who shot him?"

She said, "Yes."

"At the same time, you also suffered a severe blow to the head. There were two other Chinese victims present, one suffering from a sharp object cut and the other from a rope strangulation. What was the situation like at the time?"

"Another officer and his adjutant took them away. Ichiro Sakuma told me to follow him to the stables if I wanted to rescue them. Once there, he learned the intern doctor from the spinning mill had been rescued. He then had the stable owner torture the two of them and forced me to shoot him."

"Why did you have to shoot him?"

"I don't know, sir. He banged my head against the wall when I was half-conscious. I remember him threatening to bury Zoe with him."

There was a moment of silence on the bench.

The French judge suddenly asked in French, "When collecting evidence at the institute, many researchers testified that they often saw Zoe driving them. What is your relationship?"

Before the translator could open his mouth, she froze for a moment and said in French, "Excuse me, sir?"

At this time, the presiding judge interrupted him: "Please do not ask questions that are not related to the contents of the indictment."

Then, the presiding judge told her, "The jury will re-evaluate some of the charges against Zoetse, Sakuma, and Fujima based on your previous testimony and the new evidence presented in court today."

New evidence? But what she said today was no different from the testimony she gave at the Municipal Council last week.

After sitting down, she was a little confused.

She could sense that the two American judges, as well as Bron, the evidence collector for the International Police Agency, were attempting to maximize evidence favorable to Xie Zeyi during their testimony collection and questioning. This included the testimony of the research institute members and the prostitute on Fourth Street. But she also understood that even if he was acquitted here, there was little chance he would escape trial in his own country.

It was this sensitive identity that prevented him from attending the public trial. Until he was truly cleared of the charge of disloyalty to the empire, he could not appear in public, just like Mr. Zheng, who has disappeared to this day.

After the deposition and the prosecution's defense concluded, the courtroom adjourned for 25 minutes, leaving the judge and jury to deliberate on the final verdict for the over one hundred people on the list. After hours of suspense, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. At this point, whatever the outcome, it seemed, was all she could do.

Even before her IELTS speaking test, her first speech, or any exam she wasn't fully prepared for, she'd never been this nervous. Her heart was hanging in the air, and even six months later, she still couldn't relax.

She thought the closed courtroom was too depressing, so she decided to get up and go out for some fresh air. When she turned around, she saw Bohr walking towards her quickly.

She still had enough energy to make a joke: "I didn't expect to see my boss on Sunday!"

Bohr was not in such a good mood. He pulled her to the corner and asked in a low voice: "What is your relationship with that British captain?"

She was stunned: "What's the relationship?"

Bohr said: "Recently, many researchers have brought their spouses to China. Fermi's wife, Auburn's girlfriend, and in the future, many more people's partners will come to China. Do you know why?"

Her heart skipped a beat, as if she had thought of something, but her mouth asked faster than her brain could think, "What's going on?"

"A few weeks ago, Xu and Lu sent a telegram from Hong Kong announcing the discovery of a 'gold mine' in the northwest. Two mines and an engineering research institute are being built. This is why all researchers are required to bring their spouses and children to China. For many years to come, everyone will remain 'secretly' at that unknown location as an engineer. Do you understand? Your identity as an engineer also serves as a shield for your spouse."

She was stunned: "But...Mr. Xie and I are nothing."

Bohr, anxious and somewhat furious, grabbed the golden key from her neck and said, "Phibetakappa, America's oldest fraternity, awards its key to the most outstanding graduate each year. It can be worn as a symbol of honor. This golden key is extremely valuable, nearly a hundred times its original value in gold. It's the perfect tool for self-advertising! It also has another use: it can be used as a token of love, like an engagement ring for your girlfriend..."

As Bohr finished speaking, a group of reporters sitting in the distance ran over and suddenly surrounded her. Surrounded by the sea of ​​people, cameras held high, she heard many people asking, "Ms. Lin San, you spoke three languages ​​fluently in court. You're less than sixteen, and you already have a university degree. You didn't go to Europe with Principal Lin, but people often say you're fluent in six languages. Your sister is two years older than you, but she just graduated from high school and doesn't speak English well. Is there any difference in your father's parenting style..."

"Miss Lin San, you were engaged to the Si family, but later, due to a teacher-student scandal, the engagement was broken off. Now, why are there rumors that you're secretly dating the eldest son of Sir Tse, a shareholder of HSBC?"

"Ms. Lin San, many foreign newspapers predict that one of your papers will be awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Physics..."

"Miss Lin San, the Lin family has been involved in literature and politics for generations. You are so young, yet you have achieved such high attainments in science. Is this related to your biological mother?"

…

The scrutinizing reporters quickly forced the slender girl back into a small corner of the corridor outside the courtroom. The physics giant who had just stood beside her was now being quickly pushed to the outermost edge of the crowd by reporters covering the Shanghai trial.

An American reporter hesitantly approached Bohr and whispered, "Dr. Niels Henrik David Bohr?"

Bohr straightened his wrinkled collar and prepared to be interviewed.

The American reporter shook hands with him somewhat awkwardly, then quickly snapped a half-length photo of Bohr with his camera. He smiled and asked, "I heard that a member of your department is expected to win this year's Nobel Prize in Physics. Are you also the 1922 Nobel Prize winner in Physics? Some say you will become the next Rutherford—like him, with many students all over the world. What are your thoughts on this?"

…

The celebrities from Shanghai and Hong Kong sitting in the courtroom all looked toward the corner where the reporters had gathered.

This was a six-nation public trial, gathering nearly a hundred prominent politicians and military officers from the six nations, as well as nearly a hundred journalists from dozens of countries and newspapers. When the Febeda Golden Key appeared around the neck of a beautiful Oriental girl, along with the Japanese criminal's diary and her subsequent responses to the presiding judge in three languages...this group of world-class journalists, at the slightest sign of trouble, instantly understood: this girl, this key witness in the public trial, was likely something extraordinary.

Many people found this name in their memories: the scandal, her achievements that might have been recognized in the physics community, her talent that was buried because of the scandal, the rumors that she obtained a bachelor's degree at a very young age and was proficient in six languages, and the moment when the golden key given to her by the eldest son of the richest man in Southeast Asia appeared on her... All reporters understood that after the public trial, she would most likely become the focus of public opinion in Shanghai and even the entire Far East!

As astute as Mrs. Ge and Sir Xie were, after noticing the bias of the American jurors and judges in their testimony against Xie Zeyi and their special attention after seeing the golden key around her neck, they both immediately realized: this marriage will definitely save him!

After looking at her for a while, Mrs. Ge turned to Sir Xie and said, "How is it? My niece is excellent, isn't she?"

Sir Xie snorted.

Mrs. Ge also chuckled, "You are fifty years old this year, right? You have been chanting Buddhist scriptures for thirty years and eating vegetarian food for half your life. If my niece really becomes the daughter-in-law of your Xie family, from now on, Xie Xun, you can probably eat both meat and vegetables."