Chapter 214 Public Opinion
At exactly 8 o'clock in the evening, Qiao Zhizhang and his secretary walked into the private dining room of the city center building on time.
The interior of the restaurant is decorated in a low-key and luxurious style. The crystal chandeliers illuminate the interior with golden splendor, and melodious and soothing music flows quietly in the dining area.
The secretary looked at the waiter who came over and handed over a black card. "Open a bottle of Petrus. The main course will be prepared according to the previous menu. No service is required during the meal."
The waiter understood, put away the menu and left the room.
After the main course was served, a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap and a mask walked into the box. He was wrapped tightly, with only a pair of tired and cloudy eyes showing.
When the secretary saw the person coming, he left the room without saying a word and closed the door.
Suddenly, only Qiao Zhizhang and the mysterious middle-aged man were left in the room. The aroma of food was slightly fermenting in the air, making people salivate.
However, the visitor's mind was clearly not on the food. He took off his mask, revealing a face full of wrinkles and ravines. If Lawyer Du Xiao were here, he would definitely be shocked. Isn't this the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Wang Deming?
He spoke in a low voice, "Mr. Qiao, you should know that it is strictly forbidden for judges to meet with parties involved in the case privately."
Qiao Zhizhang chuckled. "Judge Wang, you're worrying too much. I can assure you that no one else will know anything that happens in this box."
He shook the crystal glass in his hand, and the scarlet wine swirls under the light. "Here, try it and see if this red wine suits your taste."
Wang Deming was slightly stunned. He thought Qiao Zhizhang must be very sad because his son had died, but he didn't expect that he would still be in the mood to taste wine.
But then again, Qiao Zhizhang was a promiscuous young man, fathering countless children, more than a dozen of whom he publicly acknowledged, not to mention those who remained private. Losing an heir was like losing an investment for a profit-focused businessman like him.
He took the wine glass and took a sip. "What's the matter, Mr. Qiao? Just get straight to the point."
"Since Judge Wang emphasizes efficiency, I will speak frankly." Qiao Zhizhang suddenly raised his hand and pressed the brocade box on the table, pushing it forward.
A fierce look flashed in his eyes as he looked at Wang Deming, and his voice sank. "If these things were used in Shi Nian'an's case, he would be sentenced to death, to be executed immediately."
He really didn't care about Qiao Yanzhi; it was just a failed investment. However, that didn't mean he could tolerate a woman of inferior status causing the group to lose tens of billions and destroying his heir.
Shi Nian'an must die.
Only in this way can he deter those who want to laugh at him. He must let everyone in the world know what will happen to those who offend the Qiao family.
Wang Deming opened the lid of the brocade box and saw a luxury car key and a property certificate of a top-notch luxury house lying on the black velvet cloth.
He calculated that these two items were worth hundreds of millions, and his breathing became rapid.
But his tone was still hesitant. "The maximum sentence for this case is life imprisonment. If it's the death penalty, I'm afraid it will be a bit difficult. And in terms of public opinion... unless five out of the nine judges vote in favor."
Qiao Zhizhang suddenly laughed, his eyes dark as a man-eating jackal. "Judge Wang, don't worry about that. The evidence will be there, and as for public opinion, it will also turn around."
He single-handedly founded the Huangtian Group, which supported half of the empire's GDP. Now he just wanted the death of a woman who killed his son. What's wrong with that?
As for those women in Tianqiong, they actually wanted to defend Shi Nian'an's innocence. It was simply a fool's dream!
————
When Qiao Zhizhang attempted to manipulate the judiciary and have Shi Nian'an sentenced to death, Tianqiong's legal team was also working hard to help Shi Nian'an clear the charge of manslaughter.
However, even the elite lawyer Du Xiao found it difficult to face Chi Lan's request to defend her innocence.
"There's no precedent in existing judicial precedent for a woman who killed someone while resisting assault and was ultimately found not guilty in self-defense. Now that the case has been transferred to the Supreme Court, if we insist on a not guilty defense, the chances of winning... are very low."
She quickly flipped through the documents in her hand. "Furthermore, of the nine Supreme Court justices, eight are men. Most of them cling to traditional ideas and firmly uphold male authority. We might not even get a single vote."
Chi Li raised her eyebrows slightly. "Aren't precedents set by humans? I don't like to compromise. Since there's no precedent, why not let this case be the first?"
Du Xiao couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard Chi Li's firm tone.
She admitted that Mr. Zhou was a business genius, but he was really naive when it came to law.
What the law pursues is never justice, but the protection of group interests. The vested interests will fanatically protect the system that is beneficial to them.
As lawyers, even if they try their best, they are just dancing in shackles.
Chi Yan glanced at the computer screen, resting her chin on one hand. "If the trial ends in the morning, Nian An will still be able to host the new product launch in the afternoon."
Du Xiao was stunned. "...Ah?"
Where did Mr. Zhou get his confidence from? With online public opinion exploding, if he lost the case, it was easy to imagine what those male netizens would say, which would also affect Tianqiong's reputation.
However, it was truly touching to see Ms. Zhou, a stepmother, take such painstaking care of her adopted daughter. Since she was determined to defend the defendant, she would give it her all, just as a way of comforting the client.
Du Xiao closed the file and said gently, "Don't worry, Mr. Zhou. I will do my best to get Miss Shi an acquittal."
Chi Li was of course aware that Du Xiao had no confidence in this case, but what she wanted to do was not impossible.
Anyway, the ultimate goal is to transform this terrible world, so let's just start from here.
She raised her eyes to look at Du Xiao, her eyes full of smiles, "Then I'll wait for your good news."
————
The heat of the Huangtian Laboratory explosion incident has not yet subsided, and the case of Qiao Yanzhi who intended to harm the top leaders of Tiankong but was killed instead has once again sparked public opinion.
Because the case has yet to be decided, online rumors are a mix of truth and falsehood, largely intended to confuse the public. Numerous marketing accounts or individuals claiming to be insiders of the Imperial Heavens have reported that Qiao Yanzhi was murdered through a honey trap set up by the Heavens. They describe the events with vivid detail, as if they had witnessed the incident from beneath the bed.
Huangtian was, after all, a giant in the capital market. Despite his fair share of criticism, he had even more supporters. Furthermore, Qiao Yanzhi's social media photos showed him looking handsome, standing out among the greasy, bald, and ordinary men. Now that he'd passed away at such a young age, it was inevitable that some, under the pretext of respecting the deceased, would mourn for him.
[This guy's looks are incredible, and you tell me he's dead? This is so frustrating (don't scold me, I know he committed a crime, I'm just expressing my feelings)]
[Even with this appearance, she still has the ability to be a beauty trap? Even if she doesn't want to, I do!]
Even if he did make a mistake, his crime wouldn't be punishable by death... He's still the emperor's prince, rich and handsome. What a pity!
Some people's values are really based on their senses. I suggest donating your brain to someone in need.
As for the question of whether Shi Nian'an should be sentenced, the two sides engaged in a fierce war of words, and some people even became detectives and solved the case directly online.
There's absolutely no evidence to prove Qiao Yanzhi intended to harm the woman. Shi Nian'an must have come to him on her own initiative. She was trying to set him up, but she failed.
[I remember last year, Prince Qiao teamed up with Baihua Capital to donate 5 million yuan to girls in mountainous areas. Would such a good person kidnap and kill a fierce woman? Haha, □□ wins again.]
[That's right, a man like Prince Qiao has no shortage of women. The women just take advantage of the fact that he's dead and can't speak, and unscrupulously throw dirty water on him.]
[Killing someone means paying with one's life. If any judge dares not to sentence you to death, I'll be the first to open your box!]
[I also think that the woman was deliberately trying to frame Qiao Yanzhi to discredit Huang Tian, but she accidentally messed up and got herself in jail.]
The internet was unanimously condemning the woman. Even when there were occasional voices defending Shi Nian'an, they were immediately attacked by netizens, who accused her of having "unrealistic values" and "defending a murderer. Did you lose your mind after all that boxing?"
Qiao Zhizhang glanced at the public opinion on the Internet and stopped paying attention to it.
With the Huangtian Public Relations Department responsible for guiding public opinion, this case will naturally develop according to his expectations.
After this incident, the Sky Dome's reputation was shattered, and it was bound to fall apart. Once the ban on the material machine was issued, everyone would turn against it, and it would be the time for its complete collapse.
When the Tianqiong employees saw the one-sided public opinion on the Internet, they were so angry that they jumped up and down, and picked up their keyboards to curse back. However, no matter how much they cursed, they knew in their hearts that it would be difficult for Shi Nian'an to be acquitted.
Only Chi Lun looked calm and composed, as if there was nothing to worry about, and was still slowly advancing her plan to dominate the world.
At this moment, there was a gentle knock on the office door. Lin Wei, the head of the foundation who had just joined Tianqiong two weeks ago, pushed the door open and walked in. "Mr. Zhou, the foundation's first meeting has been prepared. We can prepare to go online."
Chi Li stood up from the computer and said, "Okay."
She reached out and took the pair of black-rimmed glasses on the table, put them on her nose, then sat down on the sofa, her dark eyes staring at the center of the lenses.
At the same time, a dozen Foundation members entered the material code into the material machine screen. With a slight beep, a pair of streamlined high-tech glasses in the cabin floated up under the influence of the magnetic field.
Mi Wanlan took the glasses and put them on with some hesitation, and the foundation's slogan slowly appeared in front of his eyes - This world is a mistake, are you willing to correct it?
Then, she felt her vision flash, and the familiar room disappeared, replaced by a simple and elegant conference room, and she was sitting at the long table in the middle of the conference room.
Mi Wanlan:!!!
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