Presiding Judge Au Hin-wai, who had called the court to order twice in succession, could not help rubbing his brow.
As someone qualified to preside over proceedings in Hong Kong Island's High Court, his standing in Hong Kong Island's judiciary was beyond question.
He had handled at least eight hundred cases, if not a thousand.
It was not as though he had never seen victims defend their perpetrators.
But cases like those almost always involved deals trading money for influence behind the scenes.
In this case, however, the perpetrators were two Gou Hok Jai, while the victim was a well-known Big Water Pipe in Hong Kong Island's business community.
No matter how one looked at it, those two Gou Hok Jai could not possibly threaten a Big Water Pipe.
Yet the situation in court at that moment was decidedly unfavorable to the Police Force and the Department of Justice.
Without further evidence, convicting Wong Kwan was out of the question.
Even Ho Wai-lok, who had practically been caught red-handed, would probably have to be released in court.
As a leading figure in Hong Kong Island's judicial system, Au Hin-wai naturally had to do everything he could to uphold the principles of a fair and impartial trial.
But he was also a flesh-and-blood human being, with feelings and desires of his own.
In these proceedings, his sympathies would certainly lean more toward the Police Force and the Department of Justice.
"Does the prosecution have any further evidence to submit?"
District Presiding Judge Au's implication was obvious: if the Police Force and the Department of Justice had any other cards up their sleeves, they should play them now.
Otherwise, however reluctant he might be, he could only declare those two Gou Hok Jai, Ho Wai-lok and Wong Kwan, not guilty.
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