Chapter 243: The Good Show Begins

Early morning.

Zhao Yi slowly opened his eyes on the worn-out sofa.

He glanced at the wall clock, sat up slowly and laboriously. The old sofa frame creaked and groaned. By the time Zhao Yi sat upright, he was already covered in sweat.

He took off his shirt and walked to the long floor-to-ceiling mirror. In the mirror’s reflection, a hideous whip scar was coiled across his back. The torn flesh showed no signs of healing; instead, the black curse marks around the wound were sinking deeper into his skin.

Zhao Yi reached out and touched it lightly, wincing in pain. At the same time, Ling’er’s crisp voice came from behind the door:

"Brother Zhao Yi, are you awake?"

Zhao Yi put his shirt back on and opened the door to see Ling’er already dressed, standing outside, blinking at him.

"What’s wrong?" Zhao Yi’s voice was as gentle as possible.

"Brother Zhao Yi, didn't you say you were going to attend the court hearing today and had to get up early? I’m already ready."

"Alright, wait for me a moment. I’ll change my clothes and come out."

Zhao Yi closed the door and quickly changed his clothes. He put on an old gray cotton jacket as the outermost layer. Just as he was about to leave, his gaze caught a drawer by the table, and he suddenly stopped.

He narrowed his eyes, light flickering in them, his heart struggling intensely.

A moment later, he took a deep breath, took something out of the drawer, and quickly stuffed it into the pocket of his cotton jacket...

It was a short blade with a cold glint.

After doing all this, Zhao Yi opened the door as if nothing had happened and smiled, taking Ling’er’s hand. "Let’s go."

The other residents of the Third District were already prepared. Some held banners, some carried megaphones. Seeing Zhao Yi and Ling’er come down, they counted the heads, and a group of them walked toward the court.

"What are you planning to do?" Zhao Yi asked, puzzled.

"If those people frame Chief Han Meng again later, we’ll use the megaphones to shout them down! Let’s see who has the louder voice!"

"Exactly, can they really turn white into black? Do they really think we’re dead?"

"Xiao Yi, we’ve planned it all out. Even if we get kicked out, it doesn't matter. Everyone will shout one by one; it’s bound to have some effect..."

Everyone spoke one after another. Zhao Yi’s expression was somewhat helpless. His right hand, tucked in his pocket, touched something cold, and his gaze gradually became serious.

They walked through street after street and finally arrived in front of the court. They completed the registration with ease and were about to enter the public gallery when they were stopped one by one.

"Megaphones are prohibited items and are forbidden from entering." The Enforcer’s words shattered everyone’s fantasies.

"This... how can this be considered a prohibited item..."

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt anyone... we promise not to speak, okay?"

"Who said this is a megaphone? This is my scarf! If you don't believe me, I’ll wear it for you to see..."

The Enforcers had long since remembered this group of people. No matter how they tried to play dumb, they refused to let the megaphones inside.

Helpless, they had to compromise and leave the megaphones outside. But immediately after, there was an extremely rigorous body search. An Enforcer pulled a banner from a resident’s clothes, revealing an "as I thought" expression.

"Banners are also prohibited."

"??? But we didn't have this rule last time!"

"Why do you think this rule was set?"

Everyone: ...

Zhao Yi saw this scene at the entrance, his expression turning somewhat grim. He hadn't expected the security to be this tight. One hand gripped the hilt of the knife in his pocket tightly, and he remained silent.

"Xiao Yi, what's wrong?" Xu Chongguo asked, stepping forward after noticing his expression.

Zhao Yi didn't speak; he simply pulled out the hilt of the knife from his pocket just enough for Xu Chongguo to see, then quickly shoved it back in.

Xu Chongguo’s expression changed the moment he saw it. He immediately dragged Zhao Yi to the side and lowered his voice:

"Why did you bring a knife??"

"If that ingrate Old Man Ding dares to spout nonsense in court again today, I’m going up there to stab him to death!" A cold glint flashed in Zhao Yi’s eyes. "Without a witness, they won't be able to convict Han Meng..."

"Absurd!!" Xu Chongguo snatched the knife from his hand, glanced around to ensure no one was watching, and buried it in the soil of a flower bed by the steps.

"Xiao Yi, I know you’re loyal and want to purge the traitors from the Third District... but if you do this and end up throwing your life away, what will happen to Ling'er? You’re the only family she has left!"

Zhao Yi opened his mouth to say something, but Xu Chongguo continued immediately:

"Don't tell me we can take care of her! In that child's heart, you are already her irreplaceable older brother, just like the status your father held in your heart... She has already lost her grandmother once; do you want to make her experience that pain again?"

Zhao Yi froze. He remained silent for a long time before slowly lowering his head.

Xu Chongguo took a deep breath, pulled Zhao Yi toward the courthouse, handed over their banners, and after passing through security, the group disappeared into the main entrance.

Not long after they went inside, a figure wearing a brown overcoat stepped onto the stairs at a leisurely pace.

He walked straight up to the registering officer, a look of confusion and panic appearing on his face.

"Um..."

"Reporter Lin?" The officer had met Chen Ling once before. Seeing his poor complexion, he asked suspiciously, "What's wrong?"

"I just passed by behind you and saw... I think someone fainted back there."

"What?"

The officer was stunned. He immediately took a few colleagues and headed toward the back door, where they indeed found a short, dark-skinned figure lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Isn't this the witness, Old Man Ding?" one officer asked in surprise upon seeing the familiar face.

"Old Man Ding??"

Another officer looked pleased and ran off in one direction. A moment later, Fang Lichang, wearing a black trench coat, walked over quickly.

"You found him? Where is he??"

"I don't know how it happened, he just fainted here... looks like he might have starved?"

"Should we send him to the hospital for a check-up?"

"No time, the court is about to start." Fang Lichang confirmed it was Old Man Ding and that his vitals were normal. He was overcome with ecstasy; the last piece of the puzzle for victory was now in place. He was now ten-tenths certain of the court's verdict!

He immediately ordered, "He’s fine. Wake him up and get him ready to testify!"

With that, he hurried toward the entrance reserved for internal staff.

At the courthouse entrance, Chen Ling watched this scene from afar, the corners of his mouth curling upward slightly.

He passed through security with practiced ease, camera in hand, and returned to his original seat in the public gallery. The survivors from the Third District were still around him, though Wen Shilin was unable to attend for the time being due to other matters.

As everyone took their seats, Judge Gu Yuan slowly walked in from the entrance. In the gallery, Chen Ling gently pushed up his semi-rimless glasses and muttered to himself:

"The show... begins."