Chapter Seventeen: The Judgment of Justice
The morning light outside the courtroom carried a chilling, unadorned quality, piercing the carved glass and casting fragmented patches of light on the stone steps. Outside the police cordon, a throng of reporters with their cameras and microphones swarmed, their breath condensing into white mist in the cold air, much like the media frenzy surrounding this years-long feud between a wealthy family. Ah Yu's black trench coat collar was turned up high, obscuring half his face. Beside him, Zhong Hua gripped his wrist tightly, his knuckles white from the pressure. Lin Wanqing stood a step behind them, her body trembling slightly beneath her camel coat, not from the cold, but from the thought that behind the soon-to-open bronze doors of the courtroom lay the shackles and the redemption of half a lifetime.
I. The Trial Prologue: The Prosecution and Defense Strategy
The air in the courtroom seemed thick with the musty smell of old wood and paper. The gallery was filled with people from all walks of life; the front row, center seat, was empty—reserved for the victim's family—although Gu Yanting's parents had long since fled overseas, leaving only a symbolic empty seat. In the defendant's dock, Gu Yanting wore a custom-made dark gray suit, his hair meticulously combed, but the dark circles under his eyes and his tightly pursed lips betrayed his tension. His defense lawyer, Zhang Heng, a renowned "sharp-tongued" lawyer, was currently organizing documents, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, as if warming up for the impending verbal battle.
"Silence!" The sound of the gavel echoed under the high dome as presiding judge Li Jianguo walked into the courtroom with a serious expression. He flipped through the case files slowly, his gaze sweeping over both the prosecution and the defense, finally settling on Gu Yanting with a hint of scrutiny.
"Prosecutor, are you ready?"
“Yes, Your Honor.” Chief Prosecutor Chen Min stood up, dressed in a crisp prosecutor’s uniform, her voice clear and steady. “We will prosecute the defendant Gu Yanting on multiple charges, including commercial fraud, malicious manipulation of the securities market, false accusation, illegal detention, kidnapping and extortion.”
Zhang Heng stood up almost simultaneously, the diamond cufflinks on his suit sleeves flashing coldly under the light: "Your Honor, my client vehemently denies all charges. The so-called 'evidence' is nothing but a malicious frame-up by the opponent. We will prove that Mr. Gu Yanting is a victim of business competition, and his reputation and career have been defamed like never before."
Ah Yu sat in the plaintiff's witness stand, feeling Zhong Hua's fingertips tremble slightly in his palm. He turned his head and saw the bloodshot in her eyes—she had barely slept a wink last night, repeatedly checking the photocopy of the meeting minutes related to the fire at the Gu family's old house, which she had found in old documents. On that yellowed page, next to Gu Yanting's father's handwriting, there was a blurry annotation pointing to a suspicious insurance payment, which ultimately flowed into Gu Yanting's early startup capital account.
"Now, the prosecution will make its opening statement." Judge Li Jianguo's voice interrupted Ah Yu's thoughts.
Chen Min stepped forward, her gaze sweeping across the room: "Distinguished jurors, we stand here today not only to pursue the legal responsibility of one individual, but also to uncover a dark web woven from power, wealth, and desire. The defendant, Gu Yanting, has long engaged in unfair competition, exploiting his family's influence and business position, resorting to any means to eliminate rivals. From falsely framing the up-and-coming designer, A Yu, leading to her being blacklisted by the industry, to manipulating online public opinion to viciously attack journalist Zhong Hua, to setting a trap to imprison Mr. A Yu, and even kidnapping Ms. Zhong Hua when he was cornered… all these actions demonstrate his disregard for the law and trampling on humanity. We will use irrefutable evidence to prove that every step of Gu Yanting's success has been built on the blood and tears of others; the foundation of his business empire has long been eroded by corruption and crime."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried immense weight; every word struck the hearts of those listening like a hammer blow. Gu Yanting's face gradually turned ashen, his fingers gripping the bars of the defendant's dock tightly, his knuckles turning white. Zhang Heng coughed and stood up to retort: "The prosecution's accusations are full of subjective conjecture and emotional manipulation. The development of the Gu Group is evident to all, and Mr. Gu Yanting is a young and promising entrepreneur. The so-called 'suppression' is nothing more than normal business competition. As for online comments, that's the public's free expression; how can it be attributed to my client? As for 'kidnapping'—" He paused, his tone suddenly sharp, "that was nothing more than a misunderstanding caused by an emotional dispute. The special relationship between Ms. Zhong Hua and Mr. A Yu is inherently controversial!"
"Objection!" Chen Min immediately retorted. "The defense lawyer's attempt to distort a criminal offense into a personal grudge is a desecration of the law. We have evidence to prove that the kidnapping was carried out by Gu Yanting's subordinates with a clear intent to threaten him!"
“Your Honor,” Zhang Heng said calmly, “any accusation is just empty talk before the evidence is presented. We demand that the prosecution provide concrete evidence, rather than convicting based on speculation and conjecture.”
The atmosphere in the courtroom suddenly became tense. Ah Yu saw Lin Wanqing take a deep breath and take a document from her handbag. It was a crucial recording she had given to the police when she decided to turn herself in—Gu Yanting had personally admitted to her that, in order to force Zhong Hua to leave Ah Yu, he had ordered "pressure to be put on Zhong Hua's mother's attending physician" and hinted that "if necessary, Zhong Hua could 'disappear' for a period of time." This recording, along with emails and transfer records recovered by the police from Gu Yanting's private server, as well as testimonies from several tainted witnesses, constituted the prosecution's chain of evidence.
II. Witness Testimony: A Puzzle of a Shattered Truth
"The first witness, Ms. Lin Wanqing, is hereby summoned."
As Lin Wanqing stood up, Ah Yu felt a slight tremor in her shoulder. She wore a plain white shirt, her hair simply tied back, without any jewelry, and her face was bare of makeup, making her appear exceptionally pale. When she walked to the witness stand and placed her hand on the Constitution to swear an oath, her voice was exceptionally clear: "I swear that everything I have said is true and without falsehood."
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