He Couldn't Break the Law, Could He?

"The information we have so far doesn't look good for the defense."

"The trafficking and murder charges are being tried separately. Looking only at the killing, Wang Qiang was the one who struck first. That makes the defense extremely difficult."

"And if the presiding judge isn't inclined to favor the defendant, then..."

Sitting side by side, Lin Yue voiced her greatest concern.

"The verdict... could go very badly for the defendant."

Silence fell.

Truth be told, Lin Yue had initially wanted to take the case. But after hearing the details, she had given up immediately...

She knew she lacked the ability to sway the outcome of a case like this. Taking it on recklessly would only make things worse for the victims!

There was no getting around it.

The case could go either way, and the harshest and most lenient possible sentences were worlds apart!

First, judging by Wang Qiang's actions, the court could absolutely convict him of intentional homicide under the law. Even a death sentence with reprieve would be reasonable.

But if the judge took the circumstances into account...

The judge could also find that he had acted in self-defense and acquit him.

A death sentence or an acquittal—the difference hinged on a single judgment, and everything depended on the lawyer's performance. One misstep...

"Wang Qiang will most likely receive a death sentence with reprieve."

Lin Yue drew a deep breath, her delicate face grave.

Looking at Xu De, she asked, "So... what do you have in mind?"

Xu De crossed one leg over the other with an interested look and turned the question back on her.

"What would you do, Lawyer Lin?"

At that, Lin Yue faltered. After a moment's silence, she sighed and shook her head helplessly.

"Trade away custody of the child in exchange for a letter of forgiveness from the other side in Wang Qiang's case."

"And have them change their testimony, giving the court a way to rule it self-defense."

As things stood, those appeared to be the only two choices.

Either give up custody in exchange for a retraction of their testimony and a letter of forgiveness,

or secure custody and leave Wang Qiang's fate hanging in the balance.

"The child might not be with Wang Mei, but at least their life wouldn't be in danger. She could fight for custody again later."

"But Wang Qiang... if he dies, that's it."

Xu De spoke thoughtfully, then smiled and nodded.

"That's the usual approach. But rather than win that way, I'd prefer..."

"To get both!"

Lin Yue froze, as though she hadn't heard him correctly.

"What did you say?" she asked hesitantly.

Xu De's smile faded. "Custody and a win in the criminal case... I want both!"

He hadn't forgotten that his reward for the case would be calculated according to his client's satisfaction.

Would Wang Mei be satisfied with having to choose one? Obviously not. She would only accept it because she had no other choice!

Unless...

He got both!

But...

Lin Yue stared at him in surprise and shook her head instinctively. "That's impossible."

"Nothing's impossible."

Xu De smiled.

Just as he was about to explain further...

A loud voice suddenly rang out behind them, carrying through the police station lobby.

"Excuse me, is Lawyer Xu De here?"

At the sound,

Xu De paused. He and Lin Yue turned to look.

A neatly dressed man stood at the main entrance, wearing glasses and holding a briefcase.

After speaking to a police officer,

the officer pointed toward Xu De. The man followed the gesture and met Xu De's gaze.

He's not here with good intentions, Xu De thought.

The man approached with a smile and held out his hand.

"I'm Chen Wei, a lawyer with the Yang Teng Law Firm."

"My firm has signed a contract with Li Youcai and Liu Cui. I'm here to represent the alleged victims in Wang Qiang's case."

"You must be Lawyer Xu De, the defense attorney?"

Chen Wei smiled as he spoke, looking at Xu De with unmistakable contempt, as though victory were already his.

Without giving Xu De a chance to answer, he continued,

"I came to see you today..."

"Mainly to find out where you stand on the case."

Li Youcai's lawyer?

After tormenting Wang Mei for ten years, he still had the nerve to hire a lawyer to fight for what he wanted!?

Lin Yue's eyes widened. She pressed her lips together, anger rising in her chest, but said nothing.

Xu De said nothing either. Nor did he shake the man's hand.

He looked Chen Wei up and down for a moment, then smiled.

"Where I stand? Be specific."

Chen Wei's smile faltered. He composed himself, quietly withdrew his hand, and smiled again.

"My clients are willing to give your side a chance to compensate them. If they're satisfied, perhaps Mr. Wang could face less criminal liability. What do you think, Lawyer Xu...?"

A chance?

Would Li Youcai and Liu Cui really be so kind?

"What's the price?" Xu De asked.

Chen Wei kept smiling. "Custody of their grandson, naturally."

So Li Youcai and Liu Cui were after the child, just as Lin Yue had expected.

However...

"The court has already ruled on custody. Surely you know that, Lawyer Chen?"

Xu De rose and looked him straight in the eye. His tone was mild, yet something about him felt prickly enough to make anyone uncomfortable.

Chen Wei caught his meaning but pressed on.

"That was only the first trial. If, on appeal... the lovely Lawyer Lin beside you were willing to persuade Wang Mei to give up custody voluntarily..."

Chen Wei left the rest unsaid.

But Lin Yue could no longer contain her anger. She stood, gritting her teeth.

"That's blackmail!"

Chen Wei waved a hand, wholly unconcerned.

"No, no. We're merely discussing it."

"Besides..."

He looked up at Xu De.

By Chen Wei's reckoning, Xu De would probably agree.

After all, this was a chance to win an acquittal in a murder case. It could transform his entire career. What lawyer could resist that?

And as for Chen Wei?

He would count it as a win too. He would secure what his clients wanted and collect a fee.

If Xu De could also get Wang Mei and Xu Hong to pay Li Youcai a hefty sum, so much the better. It would be a win for both lawyers!

They ought to understand each other perfectly and work together!

As for the victims, Wang Mei and Xu Hong... who cared?

They were unsophisticated nobodies. They ought to feel fortunate just to be of use to an elite like him.

"So what do you say?" Chen Wei asked.

Xu De looked at him. "Lawyer Chen, how about a trip to the restroom?"

Chen Wei blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"No mirror? There's always your piss. Take a good look at your face."

The air around them went still. Even Lin Yue froze, then gave Xu De an odd look.

Chen Wei's face flushed, then darkened. At last, he took a deep breath and clenched his fists, forcing down his anger as he spoke in a low voice.

"Think carefully. This is a murder case. If you lose, it'll be a major blow to your entire career!"

"Without a letter of forgiveness or a retracted statement... there's no telling how the court will rule."

"Besides, you should inform Ms. Wang and let her decide."

Xu De refused without hesitation.

"As you said, there's no telling. You needn't trouble yourself over my client."

"I have some tea leaves. Tea helps when you need to use the toilet. Want to take some home?"

"You!"

Chen Wei's face darkened at Xu De's refusal to budge. He had never met anyone so incapable of recognizing a good deal.

Why couldn't they both win, make money, and improve their chances?

"Hmph. Then I'll see you in court."

After glaring at Xu De for a long moment, Chen Wei left him with that threat, drew a deep breath, and turned away.

Watching him go,

Lin Yue let out a breath, then smiled at Xu De.

"You do have a way with words."

She paused, then sighed and lowered her voice.

"But... annoying as he is, without a letter of forgiveness, your chances in court really are much lower."

Xu De answered at once.

"Who says I don't have a way?" he said casually.

Lin Yue went on.

"Honestly, I'd lean toward negotiating and pushing for more time with the child..."

Halfway through, she stopped. Realization seemed to strike, and she jerked her head up to stare at Xu De, her clear eyes wide with astonishment.

"You have a way!?"

"Of course."

Xu De nodded as though it were obvious.

"The way is for us to..."

Outside the lobby,

Chen Wei walked out with a dark expression. Before leaving, he looked back at Xu De on the lobby bench and fixed him with a long stare.

At first, he had thought they could both win. But Xu De had refused to recognize a good deal...

In that case, Chen Wei had no objection to putting pressure on the defendant and getting the judge to hand Wang Qiang a harsher sentence!

Hmph. Ungrateful bastard!

Chen Wei seethed, humiliated and furious.

Never before had some young upstart insulted him like that. Fine. He would teach Xu De a lesson about how the world worked!

Just you wait.

With that,

Chen Wei strode to his car, pulled open the door, got in, and drove away.

Not far off,

"Was that Chen Wei from the Yang Teng Law Firm?"

In the parking lot, the doors of an official vehicle opened and several men got out. One watched the departing car thoughtfully.

"Probably. The court told us he's representing the alleged victims in Wang Qiang's case."

Someone beside him nodded.

"Given the timing, it makes sense for him to be at the police station."

The first man nodded in agreement.

There were three of them: two men around thirty-five and one in his twenties, all dressed in black formal uniforms.

The uniforms resembled suits, with white shirts underneath and red ties at the collar. Red national emblems were pinned to their chests, and they carried an unmistakable air of authority.

There was no doubt about it.

These three were prosecutors from the Greenwood City Procuratorate!

"Wasn't Chen Wei a notorious shyster? How did he end up representing the plaintiffs?"

The young prosecutor, Zhang Qing, gritted his teeth and frowned.

They were the prosecutors responsible for bringing charges against Wang Qiang. They had come to the police station to gather evidence.

"Shut up."

The middle-aged prosecutor, Hu Guang, frowned. His face stern and resolute, he rebuked Zhang Qing.

"We're prosecutors."

"We cannot be biased, and we certainly cannot let personal feelings interfere!"

Zhang Qing protested, "Sir, I've read the case file on Wang Qiang. What he did was clearly—"

Before Zhang Qing could finish, Hu Guang cut him off.

"Whether he deserves to die depends on the objective evidence and the court's decision. Not yours, and not mine!"

"If you still don't understand what it means to prosecute a case, get yourself transferred to another team!"

His harsh words left the air crackling with tension.

Seeing this, the other prosecutor, the easygoing Wang Wei, hurried to smooth things over.

"Old Hu, come on. Zhang Qing is still young. Weren't we all like that once? You were too hard on him."

At that, Hu Guang glanced at Zhang Qing, then walked off without another word, heading into the police station.

Wang Wei turned to Zhang Qing with a genial smile.

"Zhang Qing, you know the prosecution can't let personal feelings get involved."

"If Chen Wei heard you say that... it could cause trouble."

Zhang Qing opened his mouth, then closed it again. In the end, he said nothing.

After a long pause, he suddenly asked, "Uncle Wang, what do you think will happen to Wang Qiang in this case?"

Wang Wei fell silent for a moment, then shook his head and sighed.

"Hard to say. The evidence the police provided, the statements from Li Family Village... none of it looks good for him."

Zhang Qing asked quietly, "Is there no other way?"

Wang Wei shook his head.

"That's enough. Don't worry about it. By our estimate, the first trial will begin in early November. Go help your mentor investigate the case."

"As for what happens to Wang Qiang... that depends on what his defense lawyer can do."

"And as for what else anyone could do under the circumstances..."

As he spoke, Wang Wei led Zhang Qing in the direction Hu Guang had gone and said offhandedly, "I couldn't tell you."

"It's not as though his lawyer can break the law, right? That's hardly likely."

"Let's steal the child!"

"Mm... wait?"

"What did you say!?"

In the police station lobby, Lin Yue stared at Xu De in shock and sprang to her feet. As he tried to calm her, he repeated himself, enunciating every word.

"I said my plan is..."

"Let's steal the child!"

Lin Yue: ?

After hearing his plan, Lin Yue stared at him in disbelief.

A moment later, she blurted out, "Hold on. What do you mean your plan is to steal the child?"

"That's illegal!"

"Come on. What law would I be breaking?"

Xu De sounded offended. Then he softened his voice and explained slowly, "Calm down and hear me out. I promise everything we do will be completely legal."

"You could read the Criminal Code until the pages fell apart and still not find a single word that says otherwise!"

Lin Yue: ?

Steal a child? Legal? How did a lawyer put those two ideas in the same sentence?

Did he even know what he was saying?

And besides...

Lin Yue covered her mouth and exclaimed, "Why would you steal a child in the first place!?"