Chapter 245: Accusation

Fang Lichang frowned, crouched down, and picked up the newspaper. The conspicuous, massive headline on the front page instantly burned into his vision:

—"The Black Industry Chain Under the Stars: 'Deep Investigation File on Organ Trafficking'"

Beneath the headline, the three characters "Wen Shilin" stirred up some unpleasant memories for Fang Lichang.

"This article also provides a record of organ trades by the Star Chamber of Commerce, listing a wealth of data and files from the transaction processes, including actual photos of the victims at the surgical sites... The author followed the names on the list and spent the night finding several families of victims within Aurora City, conducting in-depth interviews and reconstructing the cases, thoroughly unearthing all the secrets of the organ trade."

The defense attorney's voice rang out again. "Yesterday afternoon, the author, Wen Shilin, submitted all the evidence he collected to the tribunal. After our careful verification, we can confirm the authenticity of this list... There are no transaction records for the defendant on that list.

Since the list in the article is the authentic one, the so-called list in the accuser's hands is naturally a fabrication intended to frame the defendant."

Fang Lichang's hands trembled slightly as he held the newspaper. He scanned the article; it indeed contained a large number of transaction record excerpts, though not complete—some parts were not shown... But with the endorsement of the entire tribunal, the authenticity of these transaction records was now set in stone.

Fang Lichang certainly knew the transaction records in his hands were fake, but he never expected the real records to have fallen into the hands of a reporter, and for them to be exposed right before the court session!

The timing was just too coincidental!

"I was unaware of the authenticity of the transaction records," Fang Lichang answered, biting the bullet. "I merely received a report... which included these records."

"A report? Whose report? Forging evidence to frame an officer is a serious crime. The accuser has an obligation to identify the provider of this evidence for further investigation," the defense attorney pressed.

Fang Lichang was speechless.

This series of questions and counter-questions greatly delighted the group from the Third District.

"That's right... this is what a proper defense attorney looks like!" Xu Chongguo slapped his thigh, looking very excited. "I told you, lies can't become the truth!"

"The last defense attorney was disgusting. I don't know where he went... luckily it's not him this time."

"But the author of this news, Wen Shilin, sounds a bit familiar..."

"Is he the reporter who was sitting here that day?"

"I think so, I have a vague impression!"

This sudden reversal caused whispers to ripple through the gallery. Judge Gu Yuan glanced over and tapped his gavel to signal for silence.

Chen Ling sat quietly in his seat, watching Fang Lichang's expression, and smiled without a word.

It seems Wen Shilin made it in time...

"Even if the organ trafficking charge is flawed, the other crimes still stand!" Fang Lichang gritted his teeth. "The defendant's act of extorting protection money in the Third District is enough to prove his character is problematic. Otherwise, why would he join the Twilight Society and cooperate with 'Heart 6' to trigger a virus attack in the city? These points alone are enough to convict him!"

"The witness, Old Man Ding, is also here. Bring him to the stand! He can testify!"

Gu Yuan frowned slightly, but after a brief hesitation, he chose to let Old Man Ding take the stand... After all, since Fang Lichang, as the accuser, had proactively requested the witness, he couldn't refuse.

"Bring him up."

[Audience Expectation +5]

As these words were spoken, Chen Ling, sitting in the gallery, silently adjusted his posture and watched the area below the judge's bench with great interest.

Under the gaze of everyone, two officers supported Old Man Ding as he shuffled in slowly from outside. Old Man Ding's eyes were hollow, his face deathly pale, and his legs were as weak as cotton, forcing him to rely on the officers to move forward.

Seeing this, Gu Yuan asked in surprise, "What is wrong with the witness?"

"This..." Fang Lichang was also puzzled and could only find a random excuse. "Perhaps he has been unable to sleep for the past two nights after recalling the defendant's heinous acts in the Third District, leaving him physically weak..."

The defense attorney rolled his eyes silently.

Meanwhile, the Third District group in the gallery also showed signs of anger. They stared fixedly at the Old Man Ding being carried up, furious... Zhao Yi’s hands, resting on his knees, were clenched into tight fists, his knuckles white from the excessive force.

"That dog, here to embarrass us again..." Xu Chongguo muttered.

Old Man Ding was carried to his seat, his eyes still vacant. He looked around stiffly and numbly, as if he hadn't woken up from a dream.

"Witness Old Man Ding," Gu Yuan said in a deep voice, "do you confirm that the defendant, Han Meng, forcibly extorted protection money from residents during his tenure in the Third District and was involved with the Twilight Society under the identity of 'Spade 6'? Do you confirm that you are willing to bear the corresponding legal responsibility for your testimony?"

Gu Yuan's words directly tied Old Man Ding's original testimony to baseless speculation, while also covering the three key factors: "protection money," "Spade 6," and "Twilight Society." This was a trap he had set for Old Man Ding.

Once Old Man Ding ignorantly agreed, Gu Yuan would continue to press him on how he knew all this, whether he had seen him involved with the Twilight Society, and throw out a barrage of detailed questions. As long as Old Man Ding made a mistake in his answers, the entire testimony could be dismissed... And if Old Man Ding denied it, Gu Yuan could use that to negate Fang Lichang's accusations, dismissing the charge that Han Meng was a member of the Twilight Society on the grounds of "insufficient evidence."

Fang Lichang was also an old hand; he sensed the danger in Gu Yuan's words and felt a sudden sense of urgency. He looked at Old Man Ding's back and prayed silently that the answer wouldn't go wrong...

Old Man Ding stood there blankly, as if he hadn't heard Gu Yuan's words. It wasn't until he heard the words "Spade 6" that his body trembled slightly, and his pupils began to contract.

At the same time, in the gallery, Chen Ling hooked his index finger, and the massive "Heart Python" coiled above Old Man Ding's head opened its giant maw, pouring all the "fear" it had swallowed over this period back into Old Man Ding's body!

*Whoosh—!!*

The extreme fear Old Man Ding had accumulated all night long surged like a rushing flood, shattering his mind with unstoppable force.

He stood there blankly, his body trembling as if electrocuted. A warm stream flowed from between his legs again, and he collapsed to the ground. Seeing Fang Lichang’s confused face behind him, he scrambled away from him as if he had seen a ghost!

"'Spade 6'... 'Spade 6'!!!"

Under the puzzled gazes of everyone in the courtroom, Old Man Ding tremblingly reached out, pointed at the face of Fang Lichang—a face etched into his marrow with fear—and screamed in terror:

"Save me... Your Honor, save me!! This Fang Lichang... he is 'Spade 6'!! He is a monster!! A monster!!!!"

[Audience Expectation +3]

Fang Lichang's expression froze instantly!!