"I would like to ask the prosecution if there is any new evidence to supplement this charge." The judge also noticed the problem.
The accusation refers to Qi Si's behavior in his hometown in Northeast China, meaning that there is no such crime in Guangzhou.
All they could provide back home was the file regarding the withdrawal of charges. In other words, that was a closed case, and it no longer exists.
Thus, only the last of the three crimes remained.
Qi Si never confessed from the beginning. The prosecution's testimony came entirely from the witness, Xiao Houzi. However, everyone had preconceived notions and assumed that Qi Si must have done it.
Qi Si, famous throughout the country, how could he possibly have never had blood on his hands? Nobody would believe it if you told them.
The trial has reached a stalemate.
Qi Si's case has attracted attention from all sides due to this obstruction. Under the current circumstances, there is little room for maneuver. However, the judge is also in a dilemma, as no one can be wrongly convicted.
The prosecution's evidence was overwhelming, but it all boiled down to one point: Old Ding was dead, and it must have been Qi Si who did it.
Overturning each verdict requires new evidence, which cannot be done in a short time. A Lei's plan is to have the first instance verdict, appeal, and then ask for time to overturn the case. Dragging out the first instance trial is of no benefit.
Because of the previous cases, and in accordance with the policies and guidelines at the time, the first instance court still sentenced Qi Si to death for intentional homicide.
Although Are had already told them the result beforehand, the family was still very depressed.
Sister-in-law Si forced herself to leave the courtroom, then burst into tears. Qin Xiaoyu helped her into the car, and Zhou Xing's mother followed, flanking her on either side.
"What if this is true?" Fourth Sister-in-law asked, sobbing.
"It won't come true, there must be a way." Qin Xiaoyu didn't shed a single tear. She was determined to get to the bottom of this matter and give Qi Si an explanation.
Old Ding's death must have nothing to do with him. He said he didn't do it, and he meant it.
Then came new information from the hotel. The hotel was sealed off mainly because of K-sensei's involvement. He had illegally seized the land, and the money given to the original landowner was just a token gesture, amounting to only two hundred yuan, less than one percent of the actual value.
The land has now been returned to its rightful owner. However, when Qi Si bought it from Master K, he didn't pay the original price. Although the price wasn't high, it wasn't too far off from the market price either. Because land prices fluctuate greatly and are affected by factors such as geographical location and surrounding area, the transaction was deemed legal.
Another issue is that Qi Si built high-rise buildings on top of it, and the money he used was from a clean source, which made the ownership of the hotel a problem.
Qin Xiaoyu and A Lei first investigated the matter. The original landowner was an elderly man living alone named Qi Weiguo. He was nearly seventy years old, had no relatives, and suffered from cataracts, making him almost blind.
"Let's try to buy the land first, that way we can help Fourth Brother keep the hotel." A Lei had already found out the address, and they drove there.
After being kicked out of his home by Master K, Qi Weiguo found a dilapidated house in the suburbs.
They drove for a long time, and it felt like there was no road left, before they finally saw the garbage mountain mentioned in the address. They could smell a pungent stench from a distance.
The road narrowed further, with piles of garbage on both sides, making it impossible for the car to proceed. The two had no choice but to jump out. Qin Xiaoyu frowned; if it weren't for Qi Si, she really wouldn't have dared to step down.
The courtyard was small, the fence was already dilapidated, and the house was in even worse condition, leaning to one side and crooked to the other.
Qi Weiguo stood at the door, and when he heard someone coming, he tilted his head to listen.
He was dark-skinned and thin, his arms so thin they seemed about to break at the slightest touch. His long, tangled hair was a mess, and a white film covered his eyes, making it impossible for him to see anything.
"Who?" he asked warily.
It's estimated that quite a few people have come looking for him recently. This piece of land is a lucrative deal, because there's a hotel on it, and everyone wants to get their hands on it. Their plan is to stall for time to get the land first, while delaying the hotel's development. Once Qi Si is sentenced to death, the hotel will be even less of a concern, and after ten or eight years, it will be theirs.
A building with more than ten floors—that's worth a lot of money. Who wouldn't want to do that kind of business?
So a lot of people came to inquire about the price, and some offered very high prices.
The land is in the hands of the State of Qi; to take it, one must first get past its first hurdle.
"Uncle, the hotel you built on that piece of land was built by my brother," Qin Xiaoyu introduced herself first.
"Your brother? Heh, the famous Qi Si?" Qi Weiguo knew everything. From the people who came to negotiate the price, he pieced together the general outline of what had happened.
“That’s him. Sir, I’m here to talk to you about that land.” Qin Xiaoyu had thought Qi Weiguo was a local and was worried about communication difficulties, but she was relieved when she heard him speak, as he spoke mostly Mandarin from the Central Plains.
"Isn't he going to be executed? What's the point of having a hotel then?" Qi Weiguo said bluntly.
"This is only the first trial, and we are still appealing. My brother is innocent." Qin Xiaoyu felt very upset when she heard this, but now was not the time to nitpick, so she could only hold back.
"People die for money, birds die for food. This man is almost gone, and he's still thinking about money." Qi Weiguo said, turning back into the house.
The door frame was almost collapsing, and the door was nowhere to be found. A curtain of indistinct color remained, half of it fluttering in the wind.
The room contained only an old bed covered with a tattered mat and a three-legged table supported by stones.
He groped his way to sit down on the bamboo chair, then pulled over a large tea mug of indistinct color and took a sip of water.
Qin Xiaoyu followed them into the room and saw a layer of worms floating in the teacup; she almost vomited.
"Uncle, how much do you want to sell this land for? Has anyone made an offer? I'm offering more than them." Qin Xiaoyu forced herself to breathe slowly; she was almost suffocating.
"What are you talking about? I'm not selling!" Qi Weiguo was stubborn for some reason and didn't want to pay any attention to her.
"Uncle, look at the conditions you live in. If you sell the land and get the money, you can live a better life." Qin Xiaoyu was curious. No one would not want to use money to improve their life. Is this old man confused? This life is worse than death.
"Ha, you think I'm stupid? I could get the money one minute and be dead the next. Do you think I'd even get that money?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaoyu and A Lei exchanged a glance, impressed; a seasoned veteran.
He's currently unable to protect himself. If he gets his hands on the money, he'll likely be silenced. He'll die an unexplained death, and it's uncertain who will benefit from it.
"If you prepare in advance, you can also ensure your safety." Qin Xiaoyu knew what his concerns were, and knew where to start her work.
"Go away! Go away! I won't sell! It's not your life to talk, you don't know what's going on!" Qi Weiguo raised his hand to shoo people away.
Qin Xiaoyu was almost hit by his stick and had to retreat outside with A Lei.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
