The officers brought Su Bai and Li Xuezhen into the interview room.
Since Qi Feng was a prisoner facing a severe sentence,
bringing him in would take some time.
Su Bai sat in the interview room and waited for a while. He was still curious about how Li Xuezhen had such powerful connections in the Northern Capital.
He wondered whether it was because of her family or because she was the final disciple of a leading expert.
"Ahem."
He cleared his throat twice.
Su Bai turned to Li Xuezhen. "About what happened just now..."
"Knowing the right people?"
Li Xuezhen looked puzzled. When Su Bai nodded, she continued:
"Lawyer Su, I just spotted someone I knew. She graduated from Southern Law University before me, and we'd been in touch before. Didn't you mention knowing the right people? So I went outside and sent her a message asking if she could help. She said yes, and that was that."
Am I supposed to believe that?
Fine. By senior schoolmate, she means a fellow disciple. It's a connection through her big-shot mentor.
Su Bai nodded and did not press her further, which let Li Xuezhen breathe a sigh of relief.
Soon, the officers brought Qi Feng into the interview room.
Qi Feng looked terrible, utterly drained of energy. When he saw Su Bai, he managed a faint smile and sat down in his seat.
"Hello. I'm Su Bai, the lawyer retained to represent you."
Qi Feng nodded woodenly, his expression unchanged. "Hello, Lawyer Su..."
"Lawyer Su, may I ask... are my parents doing all right?"
At the mention of his parents, a glimmer appeared in Qi Feng's eyes, only to fade again.
He was his parents' only child.
And theirs was not a wealthy family.
Thinking about the life awaiting them, Qi Feng shook his head almost imperceptibly, his gaze dim.
Su Bai noticed his expression and nodded. "Your parents' situation is relatively stable at the moment."
He then organized the evidence from the first trial.
"Our time is limited, so let's set that aside for now and discuss the appeal."
The appeal?
Qi Feng had lost all hope. "Is there any hope left on appeal?"
"I killed two people. They'll probably still sentence me to death..."
The corners of Su Bai's mouth lifted slightly. "Who said there's no hope for this case? We have to try before we know."
"Teacher Luo Daxiang asked me to take charge of this case. Your parents paid the legal fees and retained me as your defense lawyer."
"As a lawyer, I'm paid to do my job. This is what I should be doing, so please cooperate with me."
At the mention of Luo Daxiang's name,
a glimmer returned to Qi Feng's eyes. "Teacher Luo Daxiang really asked you to take charge of this case?"
"Yes."
Hearing Su Bai's confirmation, hope flared again in Qi Feng's heart.
Teacher Luo Daxiang had an excellent reputation in legal commentary and specialized in criminal cases. The lawyer before him had been brought in by Teacher Luo Daxiang...
Perhaps...
They really might win.
He might not have to die!
Qi Feng clenched his fists nervously, his voice tinged with excitement:
"All right... all right. I'll cooperate fully with you, Lawyer Su."
Su Bai motioned for Li Xuezhen to take notes.
Once everything was ready, Su Bai took the evidence documents out of his briefcase and handed them to Qi Feng.
"Take a look and see whether there's anything wrong with this evidence."
"If there is, you can tell me directly."
"All right."
Qi Feng took the documents and studied them carefully, checking them over and over. Finally, he shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with this evidence."
"Then is there anything you'd like to add to the arguments or statements you made during the first trial?"
"No... do I need to have something to add?"
Su Bai's mouth twitched.
"No. Just answer according to your actual needs."
"Then no."
"All right. Our firm now understands your requests and concerns."
With that, Su Bai stood up. "Thank you for cooperating today. We'll see you in court. Just remember what we discussed today."
Qi Feng froze. Wait, that's it?
Just a few simple questions, and they were done?
Why did this feel so unreliable?
Somewhat bewildered, Qi Feng stood up and said, "Thank you, Lawyer Su. See you in court."
"Of course. You're welcome. Goodbye."
Su Bai flashed a white tooth in a smile and walked straight out of the interview room.
Li Xuezhen hurried after him. Only once they had left the detention center did she ask in confusion:
"Lawyer Su, weren't our questions a little too simple?"
Simple?
In a capital prosecution, the Prosecution had already all but established the evidence and testimony. And you still wanted to overturn them? Did you really think the Prosecution was a tomato you could squash whenever you liked?
In this case,
the key lay in how the Presiding Judge and the members of the Collegial Panel interpreted the statutory provisions.
Overturning the case on the evidence was impossible.
A legal schemer, understand?
Yes, that was the idea.
All he needed to do was argue directly from the statutory provisions in court.
"We've already asked everything we need to. There's no point in asking more. Let's go."
"I see... all right, I understand, Lawyer Su."
Li Xuezhen's little face was filled with trust.
Su Bai quickly drafted the appeal petition for the case and submitted it to the Northern Capital Higher People's Court.
The Northern Capital Higher People's Court soon accepted it, set a hearing date, and determined the personnel involved.
At the hotel,
Su Bai called Li Xuezhen into his room.
"Ahem."
Su Bai cleared his throat twice. "Lawyer Li, do you want to keep a perfect win record across three cases?"
Li Xuezhen's little face was earnest, her voice resolute. "Yes!"
"Then go look into this Presiding Judge's preferences and personality."
With a sweeping gesture, Su Bai handed her the information on the Presiding Judge.
Li Xuezhen looked slightly surprised when she saw it.
"Lawyer Su, about this..."
Seeing that she was still hesitating, Su Bai brought out his trump card.
"Lawyer Li, don't you want to preserve your undefeated record?"
"Think about it. If we lose this case, what kind of crisis will our firm face? If something goes wrong with the firm, how badly will it affect you as a prospective partner? Have you thought about that?"
"Well..."
"Do you still want to become a partner at White Jun Law Firm? Stop hesitating. This isn't illegal. We're just making ordinary inquiries. It's not as if we're giving gifts..."
Su Bai coaxed her patiently.
"All right. I understand, Lawyer Su!"
Li Xuezhen's expression was earnest and solemn.
Once she agreed, Su Bai felt much more at ease.
This Presiding Judge
had some ties to Li Xuezhen's teacher.
That was why Su Bai had chosen to have Li Xuezhen investigate instead of asking Luo Daxiang directly.
After all,
outsiders only knew the surface, while those with closer ties knew what lay beneath.
Understanding the Presiding Judge's personality would also help him perform better, wouldn't it?
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(End of chapter)
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