Chapter 149 Who else cares?
The first court hearing was held sooner than expected.
Under the dome of the federal courthouse, warm sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting shadows and light.
Ruan Yi's palms were already covered in cold sweat. She sat in the first row of the audience, her eyes fixed on the man in the defendant's seat.
Fu Jingchen was dressed in a dark suit, his expression was calm, his tie was neat, and his face was so normal that he didn't look like a defendant.
"According to Rule 401 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, the plaintiff's testimony regarding 'commercial rivalry' is only speculative and cannot directly prove a causal relationship between the defendant and the shooting."
The lawyer representing the NovaVoy defendant adjusted his glasses and said firmly, "Furthermore, the origin of the firearm involved in the case has not yet been found, and the ballistic test report does not point to our client."
"In conclusion, the plaintiff's accusation of 'revenge shooting' lacks core factual basis and should be considered commercial defamation."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the jury box, and Ruan Yi's tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
Hopefully, things will develop as Fu Jingchen said, and Anderson's side will be unable to produce any substantial evidence.
But the unease in Ruan Yi's chest grew stronger and stronger, making her feel panicked.
Why...why am I so uneasy?
Just as the judge was preparing to call the next witness, there was a sudden commotion in the plaintiff's seat.
Anderson's lawyer leaned down and whispered to the man next to him who represented Seren Anderson for a moment.
The plaintiff's lawyer then stood up and spoke each word like a heavy hammer: "Your Honor, we request to submit a key piece of evidence that was not included in the list."
"On the day of the incident, Mr. Søren Anderson was attacked at the door of his hotel suite and then put into the surveillance video of the cleaning truck."
As soon as the words were spoken, the entire courtroom erupted in chaos, with jury members whispering amongst themselves.
Even the judge frowned, banged his gavel, and demanded, "Silence! Why did the plaintiff fail to submit evidence beforehand?"
"This surveillance footage was recorded by the hotel's additional security system. It went undetected due to system maintenance and was only retrieved today."
The plaintiff's lawyer held up the laptop and USB drive, his tone confident and certain, "But it fully meets the exceptions under the Federal Rules of Evidence and is sufficient to prove the key facts of the case!"
Ruan Yi's heart sank to the bottom. She looked up at the defendant's seat and saw Fu Jingchen finally frowning, his thin lips pressed into a straight line.
The evidence was presented to the judge, and the footage was quickly transmitted and projected onto the courtroom screen: in a quiet VIP hotel corridor, a man dressed as a cleaner was stuffing another unconscious person into a cleaning cart.
Although the angle of the shot was tricky, it still captured the wrist and long legs of another man in the hotel suite as he closed the door. Anyone could tell that his figure was exactly the same as Fu Jingchen's.
"Objection!" The defendant's lawyer stood up instantly, his voice filled with urgency.
"The source of this video is questionable! The plaintiff claims it is official hotel surveillance footage, but cannot provide proof of the security system or maintenance records, which constitutes evidence of unclear origin!"
"Furthermore, according to the Federal Rules of Evidence, the sudden submission of this evidence deprives us of our right to examine and verify it, and therefore it should not be accepted!"
“We have written proof from the hotel’s security department that confirms the existence of the system!” the plaintiff’s lawyer immediately retorted.
"The video was not edited in any way, and the authenticity of the footage can be confirmed through technical verification. There is no source unknown."
The courtroom descended into chaos once more, with the jury's discussions growing louder and louder, and some even pointing and whispering about Fu Jingchen's back in the dock.
Ruan Yi clenched her fist tighter and tighter, her fingertips digging into her palm and trembling with pain.
She looked at the familiar figure on the screen, then at Fu Jingchen's back in the dock, and a feeling of worry made it hard for her to breathe.
The sound of the gavel echoed in the courtroom. Fu Jingchen's light tapping of the table with his fingertips was like a silent command, and his lawyer immediately stood up.
"Your Honor, the hotel is a property of the Anderson Group, and the certificate issued is suspected of being a deliberate perjury and has no legal effect whatsoever."
"We request a technical evaluation of the video! Its source and authenticity are both questionable, and it cannot be used as the basis for the verdict in this court hearing!"
His tone was firm and resolute, but Ruan Yi, sitting in the audience, felt a tightness in her chest, realizing that this was nothing more than a delaying tactic.
The judge indeed pondered for a moment, then struck the gavel and adjourned the court: "The court is temporarily adjourned. The prosecution is requested to conduct judicial review and technical appraisal of the newly submitted evidence. The first hearing is now adjourned."
The moment the court adjourned, the crowd surged. Ruan Yi stood up almost immediately, her gaze piercing through the chaotic crowd to Fu Jingchen, who was rising from the defendant's dock.
Before she could take a step, several bailiffs stepped forward and led Fu Jingchen away through a side door, seemingly to be questioned further.
Their eyes met briefly in the air. The man's expression remained calm, but Ruan Yi could detect a hint of heaviness in his eyes. They brushed past each other without even a chance to whisper a word.
Fu Jingchen clearly stated that the hotel's surveillance footage, including backups, had been completely destroyed, and the origin of the firearm involved was impossible to trace. How could such a deadly scene have appeared out of nowhere? Unless, someone had set up surveillance before he did…
Ruan Yi leaned against the wall in the corridor, her fingertips icy cold.
Anderson is a powerful figure in the United States with deep-rooted influence. Once the video is deemed valid, it will become decisive evidence, solidifying the "shooting incident" charge. The public outrage and the pressure exerted by the other party will be enough to send Fu Jingchen to prison for life.
What's even more frightening is that even if Fu Wang is a kind-hearted person, the Anderson family members are clearly not.
Anderson's side will never let this go. This time, "Serren Anderson" is completely dead. They will definitely hold Fu Jingchen accountable for everything, including the previous terrorist attacks.
Even if Fu Jingchen has a powerful background, once he goes to prison... he might not be able to save his life.
In prison riots in Country M, some criminals always die "naturally," and no one cares about their lives except their relatives.
Fu Jingchen's relatives? His mother has been gone for a long time, and a scumbag like Old Master Fu is not worthy of being called a father. Fu Jingchen... has no relatives left.
Besides her, who else would care that the world is missing a Fu Jingchen?
The more Ruan Yi thought about it, the hotter the tears welling up in her eyes became.
Two vibrant people, even "brothers"... one has already passed away, and the other may be ruining the rest of his life. The beginning of all this was nothing more than that absurd drama of being forced to prove something.
Do we even need to guess who it is? To disregard human life like this in order to achieve their goal, there can only be one person.
Ruan Yi staggered out of the courthouse. She had to find him now; this was the second human life lost!
She ran to the parking lot, her hands trembling as she unlocked the car door, and was about to bend down and get into the driver's seat.
Suddenly, a force hooked her waist, and she uncontrollably fell into the man's pleasant embrace.
"Ah!" Ruan Yi cried out in fright, her chest heaving violently. She looked up, still shaken, and met a pair of smiling peach blossom eyes.
The person before her appeared like a ghost, his long, silvery eyelashes trembling slightly with a smile; he was the one she was looking for.
The man's fingertips gently caressed her waist, his voice tinged with a hint of teasing.
"I guess... Miss Ruan is looking for me?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
